PKOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 13 



He observed that, amongst other endowments, they had one in the University 

 of Edinburgh for a chair for the study of Sanscrit Literature, which had been 

 mainly endowed by the bberality of a private gentleman. He could not help 

 feeling that a Chair of Agriculture ought to have found more supporters than 

 that of Sanscrit. At present, however, the Senatus Academicus had brought 

 the subject again before the Government, with the view of securing a better 

 endowment for the Chair of Agriculture. That chair had been founded in 

 1790, and was supported by an endowment of L.50 a-year from a private in- 

 dividual ; but, with some other minor emoluments, the whole sum for the 

 remuneration of the Professor was not L.100 a-year, really much less than that 

 of any other chair in the University. Besides that, the governing body of the 

 University had no control over the class ; yet, under Professor Wilson's able 

 management and conduct, the class had been most successful, and a num- 

 of excellent students had been turned out by the perseverance of Professor 

 Wilson. This Society formerly made an offer to the Government of a certain 

 sum for the chair, on condition of an equal sum being voted by Parliament ; 

 but the offer had been declined. The Senatus Academicus have memorialised 

 Government upon this matter, and the subject was now before the Treasury. 

 As the matter was pressing, the Directors had taken it upon themselves, at 

 their last meeting, to address the Treasury also on behalf of this chair. He 

 begged now to move the following resolution upon the subject : — 



" That the Highland and Agricultural Society learns with pleasure that an 

 effort is being made by the University of Edinburgh to obtain an efficient 

 endowment for the Professor of Agriculture, by an application to the 

 Lords of the Treasury to place this important chair in the same position 

 as the other chairs in the University. The members of the Society are 

 glad to find that the Directors have already addressed the Treasury in 

 support of the memorial, which meets with the entire and cordial appro- 

 bation of this general meeting, and direct that a copy of this resolution 

 be transmitted to the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury." 

 The Chairman said, he thought there could be no doubt that the Society 

 woidd approve of what had been done for the endowment of this most im- 

 portant chair in the University. 

 The motion was agreed to. 



Veterinary Charter for Scotland. 



Professor Balfour said — It will be in the recollection of those present 

 that, at the general meeting of the Society held on the 6th June last, it was 

 agreed to petition against Mr Holland's Veterinary-Surgeons Bill, which ex- 

 cluded any one holding the certificate of the Highland Society only from calling 

 himself a veterinary surgeon (that title being reserved exclusively for members 

 of the Royal Veterinary College), and it was remitted to the Directors to con- 

 sider the subject of a charter for a Veterinary College for Scotland. With 

 reference to the first matter, it need only be reported that the petition adopted 

 by the Society was sent to every Scotch as well as to several English and 

 Irish members of the House of Commons, and that thereafter Mr Holland 

 withdrew his bill. As to the veterinary charter, the committee appointed on 

 the 6th June, in conjunction with the standing Committee on the Society's 

 Veterinary Examinations, had held several meetings ; and at a meeting of 

 Directors on the 27th June, a memorial to the Privy Council, signed by the 

 Duke of Buccleuch (the president), was forwarded to the Principal Secretary 

 of State for the Home Department. The memorial prayed for the creation 

 and establishment of a Royal Veterinary College in Scotland. The Secretary 

 has since had an interview with the Lord Advocate for Scotland on the sub- 

 ject ; but, owing to an arrangement made by the Government, the matter 

 cannot be taken up till the meeting of Parliament. 



The petition referred to is as follows : — 



