THE PETITION FOR A NEW CHARTER. 
617 
predecessors, and then enjoyed her royal patronage ; and that it 
was instituted to improve the veterinary art, which had thereto- 
fore been practised by ignorant and incompetent persons. 
That Parliament being convinced of the utility of the Royal 
Veterinary College of London, and of its great national benefits, 
had munificently, when required, granted aid to it. 
That it had also been of great advantage to her royal army. 
That for the instruction of the pupils, professors were appointed 
and a school of veterinary art formed, by means of which enlight- 
ened practitioners of liberal education were dispersed throughout 
the kingdo|i. 
Your petitioners, the Governors of the Royal Veterinary College 
of London, further state, that when the members of the veterinary 
profession were desirous to obtain the said Charter so granted, a 
Committee was formed by them for the purpose, and such Com- 
mittee came to the following resolution, which was duly entered 
in their minute book, under the date March 10th, 1841 : — “ That 
it is the opinion of the Committee that no clause or clauses shall 
be inserted in the proposed Charter which shall interfere in any 
way with the private arrangements of the Governors of the Royal 
Veterinary College of London or the Veterinary College of 
Edinburgh.” 
That it was without the personal knowledge of the Governors 
of the Royal Veterinary College of London, but upon the under- 
standing that this resolution would be faithfully acted upon, that 
the petition for the Charter was signed by the Professors of the 
Royal Veterinary College of London; but nevertheless, although 
the Professors were appointed members of the said Committee, al- 
terations were, as they allege, subsequently made in the proposed 
heads of the Charter, which the said Professors did never see, nor 
did they sanction or approve of the same ; and no notice was given 
them of any Committee meeting to consider the same, and they 
were ignorant of several of the provisions of the Charter until after 
the same had been granted. 
That the Royal Veterinary College of London is in no way re- 
presented in the said body politic and corporate, but, on the con- 
trary, power is given to the Council, who are elected by the vete- 
rinary profession under the said Charter, to have the entire ma- 
nagement and superintendence over the affairs, concerns, and pro- 
perty of the body politic and corporate, and to make any orders, 
rules, or bye-laws (amongst other things), as to the manner of 
examining students who shall have been educated at the Royal 
Veterinary College of London or the Veterinary College of Edin- 
burgh, or any other recognised college, and for regulating the 
nature and extent of such examinations, and for the admission or 
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