Debating Society

The society held two meetings during the Christmas term, both of which were well attended. The intended third meeting was unavoidably cancelled owing to the many extra end of term activities.

The first meeting was held on Saturday, October 11th, when the motion was :—" That this House would welcome a revival of the practice of impeaching ministers of the Crown for failure in office."

The motion was proposed by G. A. Denison, who put forward several points in favour of such a decision. He quoted outstanding examples of ministers, who, in his opinion, merited impeachment for general inefficiency and lack of foresight. He also pointed out that such a scheme would eliminate what he called " political yes-men."

In opposing the motion P. G. R. Dench stated that, if adopted, this scheme would descend to all walks of life, until, for example, the schoolmaster who failed to get all his pupils through School Certificate, would be liable to impeachment by the education authorities.

In seconding the motion, T. M. J. Scott made the chief feature of his argument a "parable," by T. M. J. Scott, about three mysterious characters, the point of which was not obvious to the House. He also brought in the power of the press to drag a man's name in the mud, and claimed it was insufficient to prevent the return of a failure to Parliament.

Seconding the opposition, A. C. Brown tended to continue the opposer's line of argument by pointing out what might occur if the practice of impeachment was continued too far.

On the debate being thrown open to the House, a number of speeches were forthcoming.

Denison's summing up was mainly a reply to arguments put forward by speakers from the House, and on a vote being taken, the motion was carried 12 votes to 9.

Definitely the most animated of the two debates was that held on Saturday, 15th November, when the motion was :—"That this House is of the opinion that jazz and its modern developments are a manifestation of the moral degeneracy of the age."

Proposing the motion, G. Long made a very clever and witty speech, in which he tried to give his audience some