348 ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
Professor Morton being also loudly called for, expressed his 
acknowledgments. He could not refuse to respond, when 
the invitation was so cordial ; but to make a speech after the 
eloquent one addressed to them by bis friend and colleague, 
would be like the pattering of a few drops of rain after 
a thunder-storm. He fully agreed with all that had been 
said by him, and particularly in the expression of gratitude 
for the cordial manner in which the names of the professors 
had been received by them. He was sorry that the delicate 
health of their principal had warned him to leave the room 
thus early. Had he been able to remain, he would have 
poured forth his thanks in 
“ Thoughts that breathe and words that burn.” 
It was a source of some gratification to him that that was 
the thirty-third year in which he had dined at similar meet- 
ings of the profession, so that he was now grown old in 
their service; but he had a little stamina yet left which 
should still be employed for their benefit. His name had 
been mentioned more than once in connection with the 
handsome testimonial that had been presented to their 
secretar}^. It had been his good fortune to be instrumental 
in bringing this subject prominently before the profession, 
but never, in all the matters of a similar kind that he had 
been connected with, had he experienced so much satis- 
faction as in this ; inasmuch as there had been no undue 
effort made, and there w T as such a unanimity of feeling that 
he had nothing to do but simply to receive the subscriptions 
to it. He v 7 as anxious that this manifestation of feeling 
should be paid to one whom he esteemed. He had a great 
aversion to posthumous honours. They might be gratifying 
enough to the living and even minister to their pride, but 
they could not reach the person intended to honour. They 
w r ere like state funerals : it w as the undertaker wdio derived the 
benefit from the display there made. He thought the assembly 
would agree wdth him that it was better to honour merit 
during the lifetime of its possessor, and that their friend, 
Mr. Gabriel, had shown a most excellent feeling in selecting 
as the testimonial that which was useful rather than that which 
was merely ornamental. Moreover, the period of fourteen 
years was a long time to hold office, and they should couple 
wfith that the fact that in the early years of the College of 
Veterinary Surgeons a nominal sum only was allotted to 
him as a salary, and even now he did not think as a pro- 
fession they paid their secretary wffiat he w ? as entitled to. 
But at the same time it must be confessed that their funds 
