The debate of the Union last evening was on the following subject: "Resolved, that members of the President's cabinet should have power to propose and discuss measures in Congress. Mr. C. A. Strong, '85, and H. Page, '88, supported the affirmative, and Mr. L. B. Stedman, '87, and F. B. Taylor, C. S., the negative. It was claimed by the leading disputants, on the one side, that this change would facilitate communication between the executive and legislative, that the power of the committees would be broken, that less pressure would be brought to bear on the president to influence legislation corruptly, that continuity of legislation would be ensured and that a more progressive policy could be maintained by the executive. The disputants on the other side claimed that the legislative department was the chief and the executive, the servant, and that this measure would strengthen the latter at the expense of the former; that extreme measures would be enacted through the strong bias of the cabinet members, that their attention would be drawn from their official and more important work, and that the influence held by these men, under the proposed change, if not contrary to the letter of the constitution, was at least opposed to the spirit of that document.

The following members spoke from the floor: affirmative, Storrow, '87; Duane, '88; Furber, '87; Rich, '87; Robinson, '85; J. W. Richardson, 86; negative; Bailey, '88; Dana, L. S.; Merriam, '86; Sternbergh, '87. The vote on the merits of the question was affirmative 24, negative, 7; on the weight of argument of principal disputants; affirmative, 12; negative, 14. The debate as a whole was decided in the affirmative.

It was moved, on suggestion of the executive committee, to invite President Eliot to deliver a public lecture in Sanders Theatre on some subject connected with the work of the Union. A petition was also endorsed, asking for the privilege of engaging Sever 11 at the beginning of each term for the meetings to be held in that term.

The following question was selected for the next debate: "Resolved, that a change of ministry in England is desirable."