EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
233 
code of by-laws, indentures of “ an apprenticeship of not less 
than three years to some member of the College,” were called 
lor; but that in the subsequent, or “ revised” code, framed a 
couple of years after, this law, though it still stood in its place, 
was permitted to be set aside, providing the candidate could, 
“ in lieu of the apprenticeship,” produce a certificate “ of having 
attended for four sessional years the practice and lectures(named 
in law 3) at one of the recognised colleges whereas, in the 
present by-laws, ail that is required of the candidate for exa- 
mination is, that he “ leave with the Secretary a certificate, or 
such other legal proof as may be required, of the candidate’s 
having been educated at some one of the recognised colleges 
or schools.” This is certainly setting the requirement of quali- 
fication at the lowest possible amount: in fact, it is asking for 
no more than the Charter has already provided, as will appear 
from the following extract from it : — “ And we do hereby further 
will, &c. that the Council shall make any orders for fixing and 
determining ihe times and places and manner of examining 
students who shall have been educated at the Royal Veterinary 
College of London , or the Veterinary College of Edinburgh , or 
such other Veterinary College as now is or may hereafter be 
established .” 
The policy or utility of the apprenticeship, as enforced by 
the original by-laws, and — what has been since questioned — the 
legality of it, or right exercised by the Council in prescribing it 
as a condition of examination for admission into the College, 
are questions which have, in times and on occasions heretofore, 
undergone so much discussion, and fallen and risen under such a 
variety of conflicting opinions, that we have no mind here 
to bring them again on the tapis. Our own opinion has always 
been, that the examination is the proper test of proficiency, and 
if it be not adequate to or effectual for such a purpose, that it 
ought to be made so. That it is not so, as at present necessarily 
conducted, we are quite ready to admit. Nay, more ; we do 
not imagine that, in the Freemasons’ Tavern, it is ever possible 
to make it so. At the same time, we believe there are places, 
and seasons, and circumstances, when and where the examina- 
tions might be made practical , and probing , and proof-ful ; nor 
