ON THE BY-LAWS. 
Ill 
And to a certain extent they have succeeded, as a comparison be¬ 
tween what it now is, and what it a short time ago was, will shew 
to any person who will take the trouble to look into the matter. 
And because the Council would still further improve that curri¬ 
culum, by creating by-laws for apprenticeship, or for longer resi¬ 
dence at college than two sessional years, do the authorities at the 
colleges threaten to quash the charter: since to resist the by-laws 
is substantially to set the charter itself at naught. Strange, passing 
strange it is, that men professing to have the same ends in view 
—the improvement of veterinary science and advancement of those 
who practise it—should so differ and wrangle about the means 
most conducive to bring about objects so desirable. Surely, inte¬ 
rested motives must inadvertently, somewhere or other, have crept 
into the business. Either the Council must be interested in enact¬ 
ing such qualifications, or the colleges be so in their efforts to with¬ 
hold them. Will any good soul guide us out of this labyrinth] 
But we are forgetting ourselves—we were examining counsels’ 
opinions. 
The next recorded opinion of counsel is, that ,l by-laws, even if 
good in themselves, are invalid if made in any other manner than 
that prescribed by the charter.” By which, taking the case in 
question, we presume is meant to be understood, that the by-laws 
touching apprenticeship and longer residence at college are, even 
though of acknowledged worth, invalid, because they are not con¬ 
formable to the curriculum of study at the colleges, as set down in 
the charter. What this “ prescribed” curriculum is we have just 
shewn, viz., “ the anatomical structure of horses, cattle, sheep, 
dogs, and other domestic animals, the diseases to which they are 
(severally) subject, and the remedies proper to be applied.” Is all 
this, then, to be learnt in two sessions at college ] Nay, are oppor¬ 
tunities and means at college afforded the student for learning all 
this, let his stay be as long as it may 1 What a flagrant act have 
the Council been guilty of in compelling the student to remain one 
session longer1 or in bidding him go and apprentice himself, that 
he might have an opportunity of acquiring elsewhere that knowledge 
which the college is or has been without the means of affording 
him ] Oh, you shocking Council! 
Lastly, say the barristers’ opinions, “ when duly qualified candi¬ 
dates are refused examination, the application to the court should 
be for a writ of mandamus,” &e. Referring once more to the 
“ curriculum of study,” as “ prescribed by the charter,” we will 
take upon ourselves to say, but too happy are the Board of 
Examiners at all times to see the “ duly qualified” at their table, 
to need the slightest solicitation, much less to require any “ man¬ 
damus,” for the purpose of examination. Welcome on every occa- 
