THE PHARMACY BILL. 
25 
At one time I advocated an increase in the country members of Council, be¬ 
cause I felt that metropolitan experience was so widely different from my own, 
and that of others with whom I conversed upon pharmaceutical politics, that 
the Council really did not represent the body. But the agitation of the last 
few years has altered the complexion of the Council, both from a change in its 
members and a change in the evidence upon which the old members founded 
their opinions. The present constitution of the Council enables them to elect 
without difficulty a sufficient number of resident members for their working 
committees while no great class interests are being agitated, and, on the other 
hand, enables the members to select their representatives from town or country 
whenever any important question arises calling for the more intimate acquaint¬ 
ance of the representatives with the circumstances of their constituency. Thus 
while I would not wish to see the number of country representatives limited to 
seven, I would no more wish to have it implied that country interests could not 
be fairly represented in a Council numbering only seven country members. 
The provincial councillors will, on an average, travel 300 or 400 miles each 
time they attend a council meeting, and will not lose less than two days,—while 
the London members will only travel one-hundredth part of the distance and 
only spend an eighth of the time for each time they sit in Council; this great 
difference will always make the proportion of sitting members preponderate 
greatly in favour of the Metropolis, and will throw the burden of the routine 
work upon their shoulders. Any Council consisting mainly of provincial men 
would have difficulty in getting satisfactorily through their work ; but the 
whole experience of the Society shows that there is little fear of the country 
members selecting their representatives too exclusively from the provinces, so 
long as the London men show their appreciation of provincial wants and their 
willingness to represent them. To put it out of our power to elect freely from 
our neighbours as many councillors as we feel necessary to represent our views, 
is like stealing a march upon our liberties, and appears to shield the London 
councillors from the natural consequences of their failing to represent the wants 
of their country cousins. Under the proposed change we could not turn them 
out, because the law would not allow us to elect other than two-thirds London 
men ; but while it is improbable that occasion for such a revolutionary turn-out 
should arise, it is a salutary feeling to both Council and constituency that the 
country members have it in their power to represent themselves if the Metropolis 
failed to afford them a fair representation. 
The greatest difficulty country electors have is to make acquaintance with 
the feelings and doings of the various candidates for office. 
There are questions—such as the institution of local examinations—which 
the country members feel have been neglected, much to our injury ; but when 
the more immediate pressure has been removed, by a settlement of the question 
now before us, I have no doubt that a decided agitation of the country mem¬ 
bers in favour of it would either alter the views of the old Council upon the 
subject, or cause the election of such a Council as would carry this measure also 
before long. 
In conclusion I would say, let the constitution of the Council, as regards 
town and country elements, stand as it is, rather than introduce a change which 
implies a want of confidence between the two sections of the members, and 
which by implying may create it. 
Barnard Proctor. 
11, Grey Street , Neivcastle, June, 18G8. 
