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Birmingham Central Literary Association.

TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT.

SESSION 1877-8.

To the Members of the C. L. A.

GENTLEMEN,

In presenting the twenty-second Annual Report your Committee are happy to congratulate you on the success and progress which have attended your efforts during the past session.

Since the last Annual Meeting thirteen meetings have been held, nine of which have been devoted to the discussion of the following subjects

1. That the Affirmative mode of thought is more conducive to the attainment of Truth than the Negative mode.

Semi-public Debate, occupied two evenings. Decided in the Affirmative.

2. That the Russian government was justified in declaring War against Turkey, and is entitled to the sympathies of the English Nation. Decided in the Affirmative.

3. That the argument of " Butler's Analogy" is unanswered and un-
answerable.
Decided in the Affirmative.

4. That the proposed scheme for extending the Borough Boundaries is wise
and just.
Decided in the Affirmative.

5.-That the influence for good of Novels has been greater than that of
Poetry and the Drama.
Decided in the Negative.

6. That the disestablishment of the Church of England would imperil the religious life of the Nation.

Semi-public Debate, occupied two evenings. Decided in the Negative.

7. That the Eastern Policy of the Government since the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War is not worthy of the support of the English Nation. Decided in the Negative.

In addition to these discussions an evening was devoted to an Impromptu Debate, which was a complete success, and appeared to give so much satisfaction that your Committee would recommend their successors to repeat the experiment as an agreeable deviation from the ordinary routine of announced debates.

Two Lectures have been delivered during the Session, one by Mr. Frank R. Heath on "The early History of the Drama in England,' and the other by Mr. John Collier on "Photography," this last being illustrated by views and experiments. Your Committee desire, on behalf of the Association, to tender their hearty thanks to Mr. Heath and Mr. Collier for their valuable and interesting Lectures.

Following the precedent of the previous session, when an evening was set apart for reviewing the works of one of our great poets, your Committee prevailed upon Dr. Sebastian Evans, the Rev. J. Cuckson and Mr. J. W. Tonks to read papers on some of the Poems of Edmund Spenser. This form of entertainment again proved most satisfactory, and the warmest thanks of the Association are due to those gentlemen for their very instructive and able addresses.

The average attendance at the ordinary meetings has been 51, and at the semi-public meetings and lectures 114; making a general average for all meetings of 82. The falling off in the attendance at the ordinary meetings is to be deplored, althoug it may to some extent be accounted for by the fact that a larger number of semi-public meetings than usual have been held, at which the more interesting of the subjects were discussed.

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The past year was signalized by the Coming of Age of the Association. That happy event was duly celebrated by a Dinner at the Midland Hotel on the 28th of November last. There were 110 members and friends present and the following gentlemen attended by invitation.Mr. Sam. Timmins, J. P.; Mr. J. Thackray Bunce, Vice-President of the Midland Institute; Mr. C. A. Harrison, President of the Edgbaston Debating Society; Mr. S. B. Whitfield, President of the Small Heath Debating Society; Mr. J. H. Chamberlain, and others. Many interesting speeches were delivered and a good selection of music was rendered by a professional glee party. The Coming of Age Dinner may be briefly described as an unqualified success and as a meeting which will remain a memorable one in the history of the Association.

The Annual Conversazione was held at the Royal Hotel, Temple Row, on the 8th of January last, and the result (both pecuniarily and otherwise) was very encouraging. Two operettas were performed in a thoroughly efficient manner by friends and members of the Association, and the remainder of the Evening was devoted to dancing. 214 ladies and gentlemen were present.

A party, consisting of 122 members and their friends, visited Combe Abbey and Coventry on the 24th of July last. By the kind permission of the Countess of Craven, the gardens, grounds and picture galleries of the former were thrown open to the inspection of the visitors. An interesting paper on the history of the Abbey was read by Mr. Paxton Porter. All went well until the return journey to Coventry, which was performed during a heavy thunderstorm. The unpleasantness of a long ride in drenching rain was borne by all, especially by the ladies, with a genial good humour deserving of all praise.

The Magazine, which is now one of the oldest Amateur Periodicals extant, has completed its sixth year and third volume; and the articles. and illustrations for the year now past have fully sustained its former reputation. The established success of our Magazine must be especially gratifying to the Editor and to the gentlemen who are associated with him on the Magazine Committee.

The two prizes of £5 5s. each, subscribed by the Association to the Birmingham and Midland Institute, have been awarded as follows:Literature-Mr. F. W. Grew, a member of this Association;-HistoryMiss Annie Beaman. The examiners were, respectively, Mr. George Zair and Mr. Frank Schnadhorst and their reports on the papers sent in are in each case very favorable.

Fifteen vacancies have occurred during the session; and, as usual, the candidates for Membership have been greatly in excess of the number of

such vacancies. This fact indicates that the popularity of the Association has in no wise waned; while, in the intellectual status of several of the new members your committee see evidences of the care that has been taken to introduce those gentlemen who are likely to give material assistance either as speakers or writers; but they cannot disguise the fact that the number of maiden speakers falls very far short of what might reasonably be expected in a society of 250 members. The consideration invariably extended in this Association to maiden speakers should be an encouragement to those gentlemen who have recently joined our ranks and it is hoped that the coming session will exhibit a marked improvement in this important respect.

In conclusion, your Committee, while they see much reason for honest congratulation cannot refrain from once more reminding you of the importance of exercising care in the choice of new candidates for admission. The future stability and usefulness of the C. L. A. absolutely depend on continued discretion in this respect; and your Committee, as a parting word, earnestly entreat their fellow members so to use their voting power, as to ensure to the association an accession from time to time of real working strength.

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October 2nd, 1878, Examined and found correct, (Signed) PAXTON PORTER, Auditor.

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