421 
SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNCIL. 
May 25th, 1853. 
Present: The President, Messrs. Burley, Field, Hender- 
son, King, Lucas, Mayer, Robinson, Varnell, Wilkinson, 
Prof. Simonds and Morton, and the Secretary. 
W. J. Goodwin, Esq., the President, in the Chair. 
The President . — Before the business of the evening com- 
mences, allow me to say that I feel exceedingly obliged to 
you for the high position in which you have been pleased to 
place me as President of the Royal College of Veterinary 
Surgeons. I certainly enter upon the office with regret that 
you have not placed in it a man more competent than myself, 
and one who better knows the duties of a chairman. For 
some years past I have been very little amongst you, my 
health having been anything but good; but as you have been 
kind enough to place such confidence in me, all I can say is, 
I will do my best to merit it. There are, as I have said, many 
in the profession I think you ought to have selected in 
preference to myself ; many who are much older, and many 
much more competent to fulfil the duties of the Presidential 
Chair : but as you have placed this mark of confidence in me, 
you shall have my best energies in doing all I possibly can 
to promote the interests of the College and the Profession 
at large. 
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and 
confirmed. 
Mr. King . — Allow me to thank you for my election to the 
post of Vice-President, in which you have been kind enough 
to place me, and to assure you that I will use my utmost en- 
deavours to carry out the duties connected with it, and to 
attend your meetings, if not always, yet as regularly as I 
possibly can. 
Mr. Lucas . — I cannot allow this opportunity to pass over 
without expressing my thanks for the honour you have done 
me by electing me as one of your Vice-Presidents. 1 assure 
you it was with great surprise that I found you had done 
me that honour, because I feel that I have not done what I 
ought to have done for the science of which I am so fond, and 
for the profession of which I am a member. I can only express 
to you my sincere thanks, and promise to do better for the 
future. I shall endeavour to fulfil the duties of the post to 
which you have elected me to the best of my ability, and to 
spend as much of my time amongst you as my professional 
engagements will allow. 
