New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-21
THE OXFORD UNION.
HOW THE FAMOUS DEBATING SOCIETY
is CARRIED ON.
UNDERGRADUATES. PROFESSORS AND NOTED
ALUMNI. ALL JOIN IN DEBATEs-oUAL-
IrY OF THE SPEAKING

IrY OF THE SPEAKING
From The University of California Magazine.
The oxford Union is the centre OF extra-coliegate
social and intellectual life II Is not reguate,a py
OF any college, It has official connection win
the corporation but has more TO 90 WITH ne
Of university spirit than any other agency OUTSIDE
The club was founded in 1923 by the United De-
hating Society in 1872 "a s MAS been known Il is
according to the statement Of the circular that es
If ot the ha5 90 e snd loo
members Its announced objects are the holding OF
debates and the Of 81 the ebates shall
have something to say later They are nso be Of
the ae Of o ,as% and other
Gey are RPsn re p age Attended and
most critical audience To succeed IN tne ONlo'o
O he rooms re Of the society Include brary cen
tanning p0oo volumes bnhafru-t TOOL vbieh
sno ne Of the womens halls indrcctly affiliated
U %S S"t the e university such as Lad Margaret or
Somerville. not eligible t. meI i The So
aty Stumbled With several copies Of each OF the
principal newspapers periodicals and -mafax.no n
both from Gns hor 1 To- hour posted on bulletin boards
There is a dning-room adjoining .ne ~ -
" TRe library formerly the debating Ra3 effo
rated at the hands OF the so wnsbid Out by the
damp is a arge-gaeried rotunoa, satntS .b nsf the
but well Furnished T naea the the most important old
books sna' ~ the new. works in history, political
and SC much te be sure in science bu: es CT
bound periodicals. most valuable Dol" S''''''''>
general
MEMBERSHIP AND ITS COST
Any member Of the university may DC cpsep the
Notion Of the proposer. seconded by Go oinnr
members OF tho union assures eeSt, tben one black
any any t four excludes The entrance fee is 20 ne
terminal subscription hree the free use of writing
APPARATUS postcards and the stamp pin to- life
er Nine terminal ns sS may be Compounded
nv an Initial payment OF $50 srsitv Gentle
for me s,nn in oxford and for the election OF non
men n, nf fe members All Of these members are en-
titled to SIT in a tns 9of tSe O. eedton Of
The society Is affiliated with similar I'm aIa Rordeaux,
and # Exchanges with these societies reciprocal
coHrteseS who desires to bring forward motion
for public debate communicates the s same IN notion
Ing TO the Standing nivas the proposer notice
Of the day on which to 65iss OF the
waTd; and the opposer are limited to twenty min min,
utes: those OF all other members TO The ar
psnrements OF the hall in Imitation OF n aoy
in the House OF Commons; so also tne and
liberal. as in WestmnsterIsavs OF e ouEII as
the question is nonpocaalli The 6Fe idematic
more indicative Of hereditary aptitude and o, traa
| ing In the schools than ours fut '' - = cor and
a. uamstbetie sense than ours, were only IN TWO
ar three Instances Of the many tnat ne 49,, as
closely knit and free from sopnis aSaa period
as dozen that have heard IN an equai pe''''
| I'm the University OF California .,,ors tI;aire
Il have heard some Of their best speakers naa
Belize ex-presdent "a Baoi man p anu lChrist
tnoun tutor and Sir Michael Hicks Beach lonIlsl
Church and Chancellor OF the E1c for elo
deliver speeches In the union ren ta and ease
but vulnerable at more points h ,han x ons dom
6st Of Il, The two speakers on side frequently
nnnear IN he Ignorant each OF the other ihten-
lions Before a cultivated audience desirhs
resonrces two Oxonians would certainly deteat
two of our Californans but before nenc" ~
judges think that the eareIuiiy naseu, tba call
| fornians might win the day -. os,,ors that
The following some OF the ques.'oHE , , o
we're debated during my residence IN On 1no q;
THAT this house views with favor the prospect Oh
an Ango-American alliance won py am for,ns
THAT this house considers ina. ora S owera Of
the House of Lords (Sir Michael t "a n ira
the negative-won by the negative); Inat IN sp.oe
| mains unshaken:" That in the opinion or this
house France is failing in the present as sne mas
in the past TO attain the ideal OF oeiIvs. @ nv
the negativel. Then there were such tUpics as ~,
| Eastern difficulty. the engineering dispute t hs
present military policy IN t lnoa forceal questions
| about women and some vague themes. sucm n, as
"That this house deplores the commercial Split
| interesting and the galleries are always crowded
| with visitors-women well as men.
AS have already said, alumni. tutors, professors
Undergraduates. all take part In these debates
OF course the greater activity IL displayed py tne
| younger men, but the presence and the occasional
| participation of the elders have beneficial erect
| i,pon all that is said and done The officers are
nearly all young men, most or them Undergrad
yates the trustees are older members OF the