316 MEETING OF ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
Mr. James Turner then proposed a vote of thanks to the 
President, who, he said, was one of the brightest stars of the 
profession, and whose course of life — one of undisturbed 
success — reflected credit not only upon himself, but upon the 
profession at large. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Pritchard seconded the motion, which was passed 
unanimously. 
The President , in returning thanks, said that, when he was 
elected to office, he had to ask the indulgence of the members 
on account of his inexperience in the conduct of public 
meetings, and he thankfully acknowledged that that in- 
dulgence had been freely granted to him. The members of 
the Council had shown the utmost readiness to assist him, 
and had spared no trouble or expense in the performance of 
their duties. (Hear, hear.) He was sorry to find that there 
were two gentlemen absent whose presence the meeting 
would have hailed with satisfaction. The first was Professor 
Spooner, whose absence, he regretted to say, was occasioned 
by ill health ; and he was sure that the meeting would 
cordially sympathise with him, and wish him a speedy restora- 
tion. (Applause.) The other gentleman whose presence he 
expected was Mr. Percivall. His regiment was in London ; 
he was the editor of The Veterinarian , and, moreover, a member 
of the Council and of the Board of Examiners ; added to 
which, he was furnished, at the expense of the Council, with a 
report of all the proceedings that took place at the Board, 
for insertion in the pages of his journal. He would say 
nothing about the talent displayed by Mr. Percivall in The 
Veterinarians but when he found that gentleman writing about 
the “ apathy” of the profession, he could not help thinking 
that he himself had the best title to that character. Having 
descanted upon the secession of the northern from the 
southern school, Mr. Percivall recommended, and without 
any very just reason, concession. The meeting well knew 
that a great deal of concession had been made ; and as it had 
not been met in a conciliatory spirit, but rather with every 
kind of indignity and hostility, it was almost time to declare 
war. Much to his (the President’s) surprise, Mr. Percivall 
said : “ We cannot help thinking— and we know there are not 
a few who think with us — that our College, as it stands, par- 
takes rather too much of the hole-and-corner system.” Now, 
he very much regretted that Mr. Percivall was not present to 
tell the meeting what he meant by the “ hole-and-corner 
system.” He was induced to mention the subject, as, if 
such a statement were allowed to go uncontradicted, they 
would be reading their own condemnation. He made these 
