434 
ANNUAL MEETING. 
It will thus he seen that the loyalty of those authorities to 
the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons was unshaken, and 
that they fully shared with the Council in the disappointment 
at finding all progress in this direction frustrated. 
But notwithstanding this failure, the Council have no reason 
to doubt that the Members of the Royal College will in time 
acquit themselves of their obligations to the profession and 
the public by insti tuting, through the medium of the Council, 
such surveillance over the character of the educational ex- 
amination as will not only bring about a progressive advance- 
ment in its standard, but give a higher claim to the title 
which the Royal Charter gives to the Members of the Body 
Corporate. In the meantime, the Council believe that a 
matriculation examination has been instituted at each 
School. 
During the year the Council have had to legislate on another 
subject of at least as much importance as the matriculation 
examination — that is, the ‘ Practical Examination/ the neces- 
sity for which has taken deep root in the minds of those who 
ai*e best able to appreciate its value. A Committee has, with 
much thought and after frequent deliberations, elaborated a 
scheme which promises to be successful when carried into 
operation. Intercourse has been held with the authorities of 
the three schools, and it would be unbecoming in the Council 
if they omitted to state that the authorities in Scotland at once 
generously assented to the proposals of the Royal College, 
and offered every facility for carrying on the examination in 
their respective Colleges ; and with a praiseworthy liberality 
also offered to provide such subjects as the Examiners might 
desire. 
The Council deeply regret that they cannot include the third 
School, that of London, in this congratulatory notice ; but they 
feel there would be culpable reticence if mention were not 
made of the circumstance that, wishing to obtain a similar 
facility for carrying on the examination within the College at 
St. Pancras, they asked for permission to do so, and a somewhat 
lengthy correspondence on the subject ended in a refusal, 
conveyed in the following terms : 
“ With every desire to promote the wishes of the Council 
of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, with regard to 
the practical examination, the Governors are of opinion that 
it is not desirable that this examination be carried on within 
the walls of the College.” 
The Council, though very much disappointed, were by no 
means discouraged, and at once, through the instrumentality 
of the Committee which had been appointed to carry out the 
