352 
THE LONDON VETERINARY 
** it would be disgraceful to them if they troubled themselves 
any more about them ,, (their former officers) ; another, that “ he 
did not think the Society would accept them, if they offered, 
without an apology,” and this to Mr. Coleman himself. In a 
public meeting of the Society, one gentleman observed that Mr. 
Coleman “ had refused the chair, but now he wished to take it ; 
and that if Mr. Coleman objected to Mr. Clark being president, 
he should resign his membership.” Another said, that " if Mr. 
Coleman took the chair for a week or two, it was for the purpose 
of introducing the old ones, and that if they submitted to such 
proceedings they would be contemptible in the eyes of all reflect- 
ing people.” The Committee came to this resolution with regard 
to Mr. Morton, their former indefatigable secretary, — “ that by 
abandoning his services when partially performed, and by his re- 
fusal to resume them when requested to do so, he has not only 
forfeited all claims to remuneration, but has placed himself in 
such a situation, as, in the ordinary case of master and servant, 
would render him most deservedly liable to punishment.” A 
member retiring in disgust from such proceedings, and giving 
his reasons for so doing, “ the Committee were of opinion that 
as the Society, as a body, were the judges from whom they 
should expect approbation and censure, it would be beneath them 
to notice the egotistical effusion of a disappointed partisan.” 
It required no gift of prophecy to foresee what must be the 
issue of such proceedings ; and, accordingly, the whole matter 
coming under the consideration of the Governors, on the 26th ult., 
it was determined that “ the use of the theatre should no longer 
be granted to the Veterinary Medical Society and thus, after 
three and twenty years' honourable, and pleasant, and useful 
residence under the College roof, it is become an outcast. And 
“ can such things be, and overcome us like a summer’s cloud, 
without our special wonder?” The mystery is not hard to 
unravel — the whole affair speaks far, far too plainly for itself. 
If it should appear to be necessary, the writer of this will not 
shrink from the unravelling of the whole plot : but that hardly 
will be necessary ; the prime agents have already smarted, and 
they have more to suffer. 
And the Society ? — why the present agitators will pass away, 
or will repent, and honourably endeavour to redeem their error, 
and the Society will have learned a useful but a painful lesson. 
It will gradually assume its pristine character, and be honestly 
devoted to the search of truth ; and the governors will not for 
ever continue to visit the crimes of the guilty upon the innocent ; 
and it will return with joy and gratitude to its parent house — or, 
and what perhaps is more to be desired, another society will be 
