The Matonic Hall was crowded to overflowing on Wednesday night by an audience in which almost every foreign household in the community was represented by one or more members, the occasion being the debate of U hai Literary and ing Society on th That the Total Abstinence movement as conducted in England and ica is prejudicial to the best interests of Society."
General Kenepy, U.S, Consul-General the qi veral spoakei greatest attention, Many ladies w sent, audit may be remarked that couraging demonstrations of approval were without exception drawn forth for thechampions of the total obs ce Movement, Had the ladies voted, the show of bunds which f the proposition would no doubt whelmed the sup. porters for the aflirma The Cuarmsax in opening the proceed ings, said they were assembled for the purpose of listening to " debate o which had elicited the profound England, Americanndeleowhero formant The Shanghai Literary and Debating with the imand conscious ut hich is excited in th ad of holding their session the comparatively confined ut to assemble, Thalt- fur the purpose of giving the public an opportunity of listening to the debate. He then proceeded to give the rules by which the debates of the Society were conducted, by which the leaders fur the affirmative and the ed to take a vote and visitors would remain till then, d the speakers to confine themaclyas to the subject, and hoped that the debate would be conducted with good humour, and absolute freedom from personal the resolution to be discussed, leader for the affirma: the resolution said they discuss whether the total ment was a good but whether movement as at present conducted was in accordance with the beat int 18 of Bociety. He sympathized with the efforts to ly a great evil, but he differed from their methods. He would not attempt te go into the minutic of the subject, the medical, the physical, &o., aspects of the movement or aso whether water or sherry wine was the better of the two (laughter.) After referring to the objects of the total obstinance advocates and their tendency to exaggerate the effects of the evi producer of crime and poverty they strive to repress. His chief objection to the total obstinance movement as conducted in Eng-int it wont beyond moderation, that th fice of principleinvolvedin taking the pled; was not compensated for. sented that a man who took " pledge against intoxicating liquor did a brave deed. He denied that. He asked would it be bravery on the part of a man on the field of battle, to sign pledge that he would not enter the conflict. (applause)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.