344 
MEDICAL REGISTRATION BILL. 
ceived applications from some members of the two Colleges for an 
interview, to state their objections to certain parts of this measure, 
and had requested him to postpone the second reading of the bill. 
He should, therefore, not move the order of the day for the second 
reading till Tuesday, and, after the bill had gone through that 
stage, he should move that it be referred to a select committee, 
before which there would be an opportunity given to the different 
corporations who believed the bill would injuriously affect their 
interests to state their objections. He had every hope that such 
a committee would be enabled to shape the various clauses of the 
bill to obviate every objection. This was the SEVENTH bill that 
had been introduced on this subject, and he would undertake to 
say it should be the LAST HE WOULD TAKE CHARGE OF. The state 
of medical law was most grievous. Medical practitioners, in every 
part of the kingdom, were dissatisfied with it ; they were grievously 
suffering from its condition ; and, recollecting the vast utility and 
importance of the profession, it was the duty of the House to take 
their case into most serious consideration. Some practitioners, 
connected with ancient corporations, believed their interests would 
be injuriously affected by this bill. Instead of attending to their 
interests or their prejudices, the House should consider the interests 
of the country. The right honourable baronet, however, would 
receive the deputations, and hear what they had to say ; but he 
entreated him to bear in mind, that objections urged in private 
ought not to govern his decisions, unless they could be supported 
by facts and arguments openly urged in that House. Back-stairs 
influence had, upon too many occasions, swayed official decisions 
in this country. The right hon. baronet, however, was too inde- 
pendent to be influenced in his conduct by private representations, 
unless valid objections could be urged, on public grounds, why 
this bill should not be proceeded with. 
SIR G. GREY was afraid the honourable gentleman was begin- 
ning to feel the difficulties of legislation on this subject \a laugK\. 
He had that morning received three representations — one from 
the College of Physicians, another from the College of Surgeons, 
and one from a body of general practitioners, all pressing upon 
him the importance of being allowed an opportunity of stating 
their objections to the principle and the most important details of 
the hon. gentleman’s bill. Since then, he had received three peti- 
tions against the bill, from the apothecaries, accoucheurs, and 
medical professors, to be allowed to state* their objections to the 
measure. He agreed with the honourable member that a mere 
statement of objections in private was not sufficient to justify the 
rejection of the bill ; but, looking at the importance of the question, 
he had thought it right to hear what those gentlemen who thus 
