THE UNION DEBATE.

The Harvard Union held their first debate for the second half-year on Thursday evening, in Sever 11. A fair sized audience listened with interest, and pronounced the debate one of the best which the Union has held this year. The first vote was on the merits of the question: "Resolved, that Wendell Phillips' course in regard to slavery was that of a true statesman," and the result was: affirmative, 22; negative, 30. The debate was then opened for the affirmative by A. Z. Bowen, '85, and he was followed by Merriam, '86, for the negative. Messrs. E. T. Sanford. '85, and W. B. Scofield, '87, then closed the regular debate for the affirmative and negative respectively. When the debate was opened to the house, some of the best speakers in college took the floor. Among them, Currier, '87, Coffin, '85, and Roundy, '85, spoke for the negative; and Fraser, '86, Hansen, '85, Hobson, '86, Rich, '87, Hoar, L. S., Saunders, '84, and Jennings, '86, for the affirmative. The majority of the audience as well as speakers, were on the side of the negative, as all the votes showed. Messrs. Hoar, Saunders and Scofield, received the most applause for their efforts. The debate then returned to the regular disputants. The other votes were then announced as follows: On the debate as a whole, affirmative, 8; negative, 27. The vote on the merits of the arguments of the principal disputants was as follows: Affirmative, 25; negative, 38.

Before the Union adjourned a business meeting was held, and these officers were elected for the remainder of this college year: President, C. R. Saunders, '84; vice-president, W. A. Halbert, '85; secretary, E. T. Sanford, '85; treasurer, J. M. Merriam, '86. The last business was to select a question for the next debate, which will be, "Resolved, that the United States government ought to place greater restrictions upon immigration."