EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
343 
the finances as being in the worst possible state, he did so 
with the recollection of the fact of the Society having been 
in existence so many years; they ought to have harboured 
their resources in such a way that they would now be in a 
position to carry out the object for which the charter was 
obtained without any appeal to the members for sub¬ 
scriptions. 
Mr. Gamgee remarked, that there were about 250 persons 
practising with the certificate of the Highland Society. It 
would only be just to recognise the fact, that these persons 
had some sort of right to practise, and an inducement should 
be held out to them of a practical examination, which would 
bring to the College a considerable amount in fees, and also 
add to the number of veterinary surgeons properly so called. 
He should be loath to take the period during which a man 
had practised as a standard, as in that case any old castrator 
in the country might be brought in amongst them. They 
should be careful to maintain the respectability as well as to 
increase the numbers of the profession. 
Professor Spooner said—I feel that an occasion like this is 
one which should not be passed over on the part of the 
members of our profession without expressing their senti¬ 
ments with reference to the working of the charter, from its 
commencement to the present period. The remarks which 
fell from Mr. Vines were very pertinent. The College has 
now been in existence some nineteen years, and we find that 
it possesses a property of c€391 6s. which is by many con¬ 
sidered a very small sum. The question for us to consider 
is, upon what does the smallness of the amount depend ? If 
it arises from any extravagance on the part of the members 
of the Council, then there is great cause for reprehension; 
but neither Mr. Vines nor Mr. Ernes has shown that any 
extravagance has been committed by any of the members of 
the Council throughout the whole of our career; and, as a 
member of that Council since the charter was granted, I am 
prepared to say that the funds have been most carefully and 
economically dealt with. The only source of income to the 
. College is the fees paid by the pupils on their examination, 
and for their diplomas. With regard to the schools, we find 
that at the late examination a greater number have been 
examined from Mr. Dick 5 s school than in any previous 
year, since he seceded from his connection with the cor¬ 
porate body, so that the funds accruing to the College 
this year will be greater than those received from any 
examination for some years past. We may therefore 
congratulate ourselves upon the state of our funds, in- 
