PEOCEEDIXGS AT GEXEIiAL MEETi:\G.S. 15 



between tliis Society and the Royal College, under -wliicli gi-aduates of the Society might 

 1)6 enrolled and registered as members of the Royal College of Veterinary' Surgeons on 

 immediate payment of a fee without any examination. But it seemed to him that that 

 ■was a powerful argument against the clause, because by coming to that agreement the 

 Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons accepted the degree of the Highland Society 

 as sufficient proof of education equal to what it desired from its own graduates, 

 and admitted that the holder was qualified for practising the veterinary art. But, 

 further than that, the agreement was never intended to be anything else than per- 

 missive. By this measure it was sought to make it compulsory. It was true that a 

 -considerable number of graduates had thought it expedient to take advantage of that 

 agreement, but a considerable number also — he thought a great number — maintained 

 that no higher qualification was obtainable in this country than the veterinary certifi- 

 cate of this Society. They refused to be admitted to the Royal College by what some 

 considered was a back-door entrance. If the Bill became law, it would be put into 

 operation against those gentlemen, and should the Society not take any action on the 

 matter these graduates would feel as if the Society had deserted them. The past his- 

 tory of the Society in its attitude towards the veterinary students had been one of 

 imvaried beneficence, and to stand idly by and see this injustice done and indignity 

 put upon its graduates, would be to a large extent to vitiate its own past conduct. 

 He therefore begged to move — " That this meeting transmit a memorial, signed by its 

 chairman, petitioning Parliament to amend the Veterinary Surgeons Bill as follows, 

 v-iz., to insert after clause 3 the words ' or holds the veterinary certificate of the High- 

 land and Agricultural Society of Scotland. ' " 



Professor Balfour seconded the motion. He thought this another instance of the 

 desire there was in England for the centralising of aftairs in London, and said that if 

 this proposal was to take away the position of those holding the degrees of the Society 

 they ought decidedly to set their faces against it. 



The Hon. George Waldegrate Leslie asked who brought the bill into Parliament 

 — was it in connection with the Privy Council, or was it a matter of the Royal College 

 only ? 



Mr. Men;5IES stated that it was brought in by Lord Aberdare. 



Sir Graham Montgomery suggested that the Society, in petitioning against the 

 clause, should make Scotch members aware of the state of the case, and that the Secre- 

 tary should get some member to put a notice on the paper to move the rejection of the 

 clause when the Bill went into committee, otherwise the Bill might slip through at 

 some early hour in the morning, and they would lose the opportimity of getting the 

 clause amended. 



The motion was agreed to. 



Highland Industries ant) Fisheries. — Sir James Ramsay Gibson-Maitland of 

 Barnton, Bart., in the absence of Sir James H. Gil>son-Craig of Riccarton, Bart., con- 

 vener of the committee recently appointed by the Directors in charge of this depart- 

 ment, said — The attention of the Directors having been some time ago called to the 

 present position of the fisheries of Scotland and otJier Highland industries, the subject 

 was remitted to a committee, consisting of Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, Bart. ; Sir James 

 K. Gibson-Maitlan«l, Bart.; Sir James Gibson-Craig, Bart.; General Burroughs of 

 Rousay, C.B. ; Mr. Irvine of Drum ; Professor Wilson ; and Mr. Archibald Yoiuig, one 

 of the Commissioners of Scotch Salmon Fisheries. At their first meeting the committee 

 requested the Secretary to prepare a statement showing what the original objects of the 

 Society were, and what the Society did formerly in promoting the fisheries and other 

 industries in tlie Highlands of Scotland. From the statement submitted to the com- 

 mittee at their second meeting, it ai)peared that among the original objects it was 

 Eroposeil to examine into the Highlands and Islands ; to establish towns, villages, and 

 arbours therein ; to open conmiunication by roads and bridges ; to extend and pro- 

 mote fisheries ; to encourage agriculture ; and to introduce manufactures — that the 

 first advertisement of premiums by the Society was published in March 17S5, when 

 various gold medals were ottered for essays relative to the fisheries and on the state of 

 manufactures in the Highlands, particularly woollen and linen. The statement also 

 jjhowed that the premiums were continued for several years, and tliat numerous awards 

 were made for reports, more particularly on sulyects connected with the fisheries ; and 

 tliat other sources of industry peculiar to the Highlands were subjects of competition 

 and reward. It was found that to the exertions of the Society are duo among other 

 things the eatahlisliment of the British Fisheries iSociety, fonn<led for the express 

 object of establishing towns and viliai^ps on the coasts of the Highlands and Islands, 

 I)articularly on such jtarts as were best ndajited for fishing stations ; the Scottish Board 

 of Fisheries ; relief from the duty of coal carried coastwise ; and tlie relaxation of the 

 fialt laws. The Sm-iety wa.s also the means of dinrting attention to the practicability 

 of oi)pning a navigable conmiunication K-tweon Lo«hgilp and Loch Crinan. It fur- 

 nished Mr. Telford, the (Jovernment entrineer, with a nqnirt on the communication 

 from the eastern to the western seas, called the CaIe<lonian Canal. The infomtation 



