THE COUNCIL, AND THE CHARTER. 283 
more tempered and better informed, if they did not let their wishes 
give shape to their expectations, yet looked upon the instrument 
as one that was capable of being wielded for the benefit and 
advancement of the science in the prosperity of which their in- 
terests were involved. Two years have passed away, and, save 
some small changes, which, however, are nevertheless improve- 
ments, matters stand pretty much as they were. The alterations 
affect only the examinations of pupils, and to these are confined. 
No change tending to exalt the profession has been accomplished; 
and so far as the welfare of the veterinary practitioner is 
concerned, probably he has yet to feel that the charter has an 
existence. 
There must be reason for this : there must be some cause that 
renders power inoperative; for, that the charter, by its clauses, 
gave power for useful purpose, none will deny. The mystery is 
soon explained. No sooner was the purpose of the grant made 
public, than the professors of the existing colleges proclaimed them- 
selves injured, and asserted that it was drawn in a spirit opposed 
to their wishes and intentions. These professors had been among 
the petitioners to whose solicitations the grant had been acceded ; 
but they now declared that secret use had been made of their 
names to procure the insertion of certain clauses to which, know- 
ingly, they never would have consented, and of which they had 
designedly been kept ignorant. The accusation involved decep- 
tion of the most revolting kind, and paralysed the body against 
which it was made. The time and the energy that otherwise 
would have been employed to ameliorate the condition of the pro- 
fession, the council were, in consequence, compelled to devote to 
self-defence. The charges were met, satisfactorily refuted ; and a 
person of ordinary capacity might have supposed that gentlemen 
who had been proved to have acted at least “ under a mistake ,” 
would have acknowledged sorrow for their intemperance, and have 
remained silent for the future. Not so, however, with these pro- 
fessors. That which singly they found themselves too feeble to 
effect, they now sought assistance to accomplish. To oppose the 
charter, the English Agricultural Society was, with the Governors of 
the Royal Veterinary College of London, won over by the London 
professors, who, defeated and disgraced, were by no means dis- 
pirited ; and the Edinburgh professor found it easy to persuade the 
Highland Agricultural Society to adopt a similar purpose. The 
Government was thereupon petitioned in the names of such as 
seldom sue without success ; and the charter now remains in a con- 
dition that seems to promise either a speedy revocation, or such 
material alteration as will render the voice of the veterinary pro- 
fession inoperative in the government of their own affairs. 
