428 
ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
SPECIAL MEETING OE THE COUNCIL, May 29, 1856. 
Present: — Messrs. Braby, Burley, Cherry, Ernes, Field, 
Gabriel, Goodwin, Jones, Legrew, Pritchard, Robinson, 
Silvester, Stockley, J. Turner, Varnell, Wilkinson, 
Withers, Professors Spooner, Simonds, and Morton. 
W. Field, Esq. in the Chair. 
The Minutes of the previous Meeting were read and 
confirmed. 
Letters were read from Mr. Dickens and Mr. Peech, 
regretting their absence in consequence of ill health. 
Prof. Spooner proposed that Mr. Stockley should be 
elected as president for the ensuing year. He regretted the 
want of unanimity in the Council on the subject. Mr. Turner, 
the candidate who was also about to be proposed, was in 
every way worthy of the honour to which he aspired ; but he 
considered that Mr. Stockley, from his seniority (being in his 
81st year), and the position that he occupied in the army, 
had a prior claim. Had Mr. Stockley been elected last year, 
he (Prof. Spooner) would have gladly supported Mr. Turner 
on the present occasion ; but he felt that he should be acting 
a dishonorable part, if, considering the result of the last 
election, he now withdrew from the support which he and his 
colleagues then tendered to Mr. Stockley, who had always 
energetically exerted himself for the best interests of the 
profession. 
Mr. Pritchard proposed Mr. J. Turner, whose name, he 
said, was enrolled as a member of Council on the foundation 
of the Charter in 1844, while Mr. Stockley’s did not appear 
in the list of members till 1 853. 
Prof. Simonds mentioned that Mr. Stockley was abroad, 
and did not return to England till nearly the time when his 
name appeared among the members of Council. He (Prof. 
Simonds) was actuated by no unfriendly feeling towards 
Mr. Turner ; but he felt that he should not be pursuing a 
straightforward course, if he withheld from Mr. Stockley the 
support which he gave him at the last election. 
Suggestions were made by Mr. Braby, Mr. Withers, Mr. 
Wilkinson, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Goodwin, with a view to 
some arrangement being made, which should relieve the 
