175 
THE VETERINARIAN, MARCH 1, 1849. 
Ne quid falsi dicere audeat, ne quid veri non audeat.—CiCEno. 
WHILE the by-laws are in the hands of the Committee, we do 
not know that we can devote our leading article to a more useful 
purpose than that of keeping the subject alive before our readers. 
It is a subject of such general and paramount import to the profes¬ 
sion, that it has been our wish from the moment we heard the by¬ 
laws were again to undergo “ revision,” and still continues to be 
our earnest desire, that every member of the corporate body should, 
by letter or through his representative in Council, take part in its 
discussion. The opportunity is a golden one—one once lost not 
in a hurry to be regained, and therefore ought by the members of 
the profession to have due value set upon it. For our own part, 
we would endeavour to place ourselves in a position to take fair, 
honest, impartial views of the laws in question. We would set 
about inquiring, first, into the power or right Council possess to 
make by-laws; secondly, into the restrictions imposed upon such 
power; and, thirdly, into the objects to be kept in view in the 
exercise of such power. 
It must be evident to all, that the power to make laws for “ the 
direction and management of the concerns of the body politic and 
corporate” emanates from the Charter; and that as the Charter 
alone can convey such power, so cannot such power be exercised 
in repugnance to the “ presents” of the said Charter. The Charter 
itself is sufficiently explicit upon this palpable point of law; and, 
moreover, the same point is stoutly enforced in the opinions of 
counsel which we cited last month. “ By-laws, even if good in 
themselves,” says Mr. Hill, u are invalid if made in any other 
manner than that prescribed by the Charter.” Sir Fitzroy Kelly 
and Mr. Peacock certify strongly to the same intent: “ By-laws 
are invalid if not enacted * * in all respects conformably to 
the provisions of the Charter.” These opinions, be it observed, 
call nowise into question the Council’s right to make laws; they 
only warn that body, that by-laws made without the pale of, or 
