Harvard Union Debate.

The debate at the Union last evening on the Home Rule question was very well attended and quite interesting. The debate was opened for affirmative by Mr. P. L. Campbell, '86, and for the negative by Mr. G. P. Hobson, '86; it was closed for the affirmative by Mr. J. M. Proctor, '89, and for the negative by Mr. G. P. Hobson, '86; it was closed for the affirmative by Mr. J. M. Proctor, '89, and for the negative by Mr. J. W. Richardson, '86. When thrown open to the house the following gentlemen spoke: for the affirmative, Coulson, Sp., Moors, '86, Robinson, '87, Palmer, Sp., Ramsay, Sp., McAffee, Sp., Shaughnessy, L. S. Sternbergh, '87, Duane, '88, Drew '89, Mahaney, '88, Kelley, '88; for the negative, Page, '88, Currier, '87, F. B's. Williams, '88, Gow, V. S., Merriam, '86, Hamilton, '87, Bronson, Sp., Bolster, '86. Messrs. Hobson and Campbell closed the debate for their respective sides. The vote upon the merits of the question stood: affirmative, 44; negative, 20; that on the merits of the arguments of the principal disputants, affirmative, 18, negative, 42; on the debate as a whole, affirmative, 16, negative, 8.

The debate as a whole was a trifle lukewarm, the only stirring speeches coming from the Irish side of the house, and it is only fair to state that they spoke in a way that did their cause credit. The negative confined their remarks to legal quibbles on the separation of the grand British Empire, and offered some able legal arguments in favor of their theories; but they rather stultified themselves by urging that the Irish were now unfit, would perhaps always be unfit to govern themselves; that they did not wish to govern themselves; that they wanted independence and to smash the British empire; that they did not want to be separated from England; that they were a degraded race; that they were an enlightened race, but not yet sufficiently advanced to use their new rights, etc., etc.

It is rather seldom, that a side has such contradictory remarks from its supporters, but the affirmative made havoc with these conflicting opinions. The next debate will be on the question, "Resolved, That President Cleveland should furnish the U. S. Senate all papers bearing on removals."