Tuere is a saying, that "happy ure the people whose annals are dull," and we may therefore congratulate ourselves on being members of a most fortauate community. Tt is hardly possible for Shanghai to be more ivtel-Tectually dull than it is at present, and our felicity should he proportion. ately great. There have been times in the past when we would have by reluctant to accept so blusén reputation; but we seem to have reached the deadest level that can be attained.
This can hardly be doubted when we think of the many little social gather. ings-that were once held, the names of which are almost forgotten, We had a Debating Society, a Shukespeare and a Sketcbing Club, 2 Philharmonic Society, and other kindred institutions, The Asiatic Society appears to be the only one that has succeeded in battling against time for its existence. The remark that General Bosquet made when contemplating the Balaclava charge, "It is magnificent, but it is not war," might be very appositely applied to some of their proceedings in past years. It is magnificent, but it is not Reflections like these have occurred to many minds in connection with the existence of u Debating Society, It must be admitted that such institations in England have been of invaluable service at the outset of the careers of many public wen, Here we nothing that can be likened to pul life and in this respect China occupies unique position. Indin, Canada, and New Zealand have all been the education ground of statesmen, while Australia has been the means of briuging forward many leading Minist notably Viscount Mr, Lowe, and Mr. Childers. Chi on the other hand has produced no one who has made his mark in poli tics, It is said that commerce like war has its chivalry; but our distinguished knights in the House of Commons are better known by their ready attendance at debates than by their speeches. We cannot all however be deep thinkers and powerful speakers, Original genius is no doubt required, and there must be the inborn nature that makes one man an orator, and the absence of which denies the freulty to another. Even without this tale readiness of speech felicity 0 an expression are always worth acquiring, and they can only be gumed by of ronding, depth of reduction, play fancy, and very careful practic. A Debating Club would not only develop this aptitude, but it would also tend to enlarge our information and rivet our attention more on national affairs. Por the most part we live in a state of passiveindiffereucensregardseventsof both an interesting and instructive nature which are absorbing the public mind at home. It is easy Lo trace the cause which has led us to change our habits of thought after a few years residence in the East. Lveal matters, too, often of a trivial nature, seem to engross our attention, and toa great extent destroy oar patriotic feeling and render as indifferent to matters connected with our native conotry. Nothing illustrates more forcibly than this alteration of feel-g, the wonderful influence of contact, and association in producing certain states of mind and determining partieular trains of thought, For instance, if we recall the principal events that have taken place of Inte—all fit subjects to be handled at a debate—we shall see how little interest ins been displayed in them, A few months ago mail papers tremed with news of the movements of the Nihilists, which culminated in the ination and death of the Emperor of Ri Then came the unexpected turn of affairs in Prance, whose embroglia in Tanis tus weakened apparently the prestige of the Gover and yowled many deficiences in thei new taken place in the re-open death of the late Sultan, Court to Mi two clearly was allowed in open who was ree fused a bene being tried under the very constitution he had the prin-ave in framing. The aswassina. tion of President Garfield is another ly of such deeds is not ce fined Kingdoms; while the Trish nishors in Americ are busily devising pling and manufactur. ing means fe the British a conplaisant press is supe porting their efforts wholesale exterminate The Government whose has thas abused at any a count amoring its victims, " Pikes, revolvers, and dynamite," we are told, "are the necessary lustraments of Nevertheless, when all this has been admitted, the discassinn of such topics cannot but be of service, An interest ix thereby arented 1g. history the of the day, and although that interest may at first be only fictitious, and not lead to further research than is required for the momentary debate, some kuowledge will be collected which cannot but prove of value at some future period. It is difficult tu imagine that while Debating Clubs flourish both in Hongkong and Singapore, every attempttocstablish one in the model Settle. ment has only succeeded for a short time. The fundamental principle that all speeches should be spoken, not read, is too often neglected in Debating Societies of the present day. "What," says the author of Guesses al Truth, "do our clergy lose by reading their sermons? They lose preaching, the preaching of the voice in must cases, the preaching of the eye always." The art of thinking when ing, and express. ing thoughts in language clear, precise, and even grammatical, is and always will be a difficult task for beginners, better practice than participation in public Debates.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.