FRENCH ARMY VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
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sion, I am charged to propose, that you shall send it to the 
minister of war.” 
M, de Ludre .—** I do not mean to oppose the reference of 
this petition, recommended by the commission. The cavalry 
veterinary surgeons constitute a valuable portion of our troops; 
but we cannot invest them with the rank of officers without 
augmenting their pay ; and this is not the time to add fresh 
expenses to the war department, which has already such large 
ones to support; expenses which they cannot get rid of even in 
time of peace, if they wish to preserve an army worthy of 
France. 
I therefore think that the veterinary surgeons ought not to 
be commissioned officers; not because they are unworthy of 
advanced rank; not because we ought not to do all we can for 
them ; and, for instance, we might augment a little the pay of 
those who have been twenty-five or thirty years in the service ; 
but as to granting them the epaulette, I think we cannot do it. 
I have made these short observations in order that the reference of 
the petition may not prejudice the question. I am not opposed 
to this reference, because the petition appears to me to contain 
useful views of some objects, with which I know the cavalry 
committee are at present occupied.” 
M. le Rapporteur ,—I shall merely remark to the cham¬ 
ber, that the rank of officer having been refused to veterinary 
surgeons, their pay has at various times been so much augmented, 
that it is now equal to that of the "sub-lieutenants, and even the 
lieutenants. In the last ordonnance another advantage was also 
granted them, by diminishing the time necessary in order to 
claim their highest pay.” 
The chamber agreed to refer the petition to the minister of 
war, as was proposed by the commission. 
This is something better : an opinion adverse to the petitioners 
is expressed, but there is no charge of ridiculous pretension and 
extremity of presumption ;” on the contrary, some justice is done 
to the character of our profession, and the value of the services 
which it renders in the cavalry. There is only one expression at 
which we are at all disposed to be a little angry, and that is, when 
the reporter, who seems to be a sensible and good-feeling man, 
forgets himself for a moment, and talks of substituting increase of 
pay for those honours which, we are quite assured, situations 
being changed, would, in his mind, be prized above all price. 
The zealous and indefatigable Vogeli is again in the field, and 
in February last he had the ridiculous pretension, and extre¬ 
mity of presumption,” to carry his prayer to the Chamber of 
Peers, and there plead the cause of his insulted profession. 
