334 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE- 
side. They had also now attained a right to go before Parliament, 
which they could not do before. They were now a body, a recog- 
nised body, which was standing before the public as having been 
recognised by the Crown. The next topic alluded to was the 
agricultural societies. Now, he would say that it was the agri- 
cultural societies who knew nothing about the profession, who 
were petitioning to have the right of dictating to the body of the 
veterinary profession. They had come forward and said, we know 
nothing of your profession or your affairs ; and yet we ought to 
rule over you. Now, he thought when societies came forward with 
such impertinence, it was high time to put a stop to it. A more 
impudent assumption had never before been advanced. It was a 
gross and a flagrant insult upon the whole profession. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Vines would answer the gross assertions which had been 
thrown upon the agricultural societies. Mr. Mayhew had charged 
those societies with gross impudence. Why it was only six months 
ago that Mr. Mayhew said, no confidence could be placed in the 
Council. He would, however, rather be in the hands of the Royal 
Agricultural Society than in Mr. Mayhew’s. Suppose some of the 
members of such societies were on the Council, they could do no 
harm. He could also see no objection to teachers being on the 
Council ; and although it was all very well to have Examiners, 
they ought to be persons the best qualified. 
Mr. Gabriel said he was ready to give credit to Professor Dick 
for not having been present at the meeting of the Council at which 
the Report was drawn up ; but the mover of the original motion 
was present, and well knew that it was moved to alter certain 
parts of the Report ; and he saw a gentleman present who moved 
two or three of the alterations proposed, and which Mr. Cherry 
allowed to drop for want of a seconder, and then he rose and spoke 
in a speech replete with vituperation. He told him then that he 
had not done his duty, and he would now again repeat that charge. 
Mr. Ferguson would allude to that portion of the Report which 
stated that the system of teaching and education had worked well. 
Now he thought the system was not extensive enough— (hear, 
hear) ; yet they saw from the Report that the Council was satis- 
fied with it. He was, however, prepared to maintain that the 
curriculum of study was not sufficient. It was not so extensive as 
it was in other countries. Professor Dick had said that the 
Charter would not allow the Council to fix the curriculum of study. 
Now he would contend that it did empower the Council to regulate 
the curriculum of study, as they had by it the power to grant 
dl p r oLr Dick said he did not admit that, and he had the right 
to put a, different construction on the terms of the Charter. 
