290 LETTER TO 



their attorney, made each of them an affidavit, 

 to justify the refusal to admit Dr. Stanger to 

 the examination he required. In these affidavits 

 it was stated, that the college, in pursuance of 

 a power granted by their charter, had from 

 time to time prescribed certain qualifications 

 and conditions, as requisite for the admission 

 of persons into the commonalty or fellowship, 

 and into the order of candidates ; that, by one 

 of their statutes then in force, no person could 

 be admitted into that order, unless he were a 

 doctor in medicine of Oxford or Cambridge j 

 that Dr. Stanger was not a graduate of either 

 of those universities ; and that there were two 

 by-laws of the college, by which licentiates of 

 certain descriptions might be received into the 

 fellowship, without their previously entering 

 into the order of candidates. Such were the 

 general grounds on which the refusal of the 

 college to examine Dr. Stanger was to be de- 

 fended. It was, however, clearly seen from Sir 

 George Baker's affidavit, that if the reasons 

 hitherto alleged should be found insufficient, 

 an attempt would be made to show, that the 

 applicant was unworthy of reception into any 

 society, from having violated the faith which, 

 it was said, he had solemnly pledged to the col- 

 lege, upon being admitted a licentiate. 



The by-law, which restricted admission into 



