PROCEEDINGS IN COUNCIL. 
362 
would not prevent persons practising without their diplomas, seeing that formerly 
many pupils were known to practise with the certificates of the Veterinary 
Medical Society, much to the injury of better educated men. The ten guineas 
fee had nothing to do with men who got a smattering of information at the 
College, and then went into the country and abused the public to the greatest 
extent possible. He could not give a better proof of this than the downward 
progress of the Edinburgh School, where, in 1844, 41 pupils passed out of 48, 
and during the past year 23 only had passed, out of 25, a falling off of nearly one 
half, notwithstanding the reduction of the fee to one guinea. 
Mr. Robinson said, that when a pupil passed his examination he was, without 
receiving any diploma at all, really a member of the body corporate. If therefore, 
any alteration were made, it would be better to make the examination fee six 
guineas, and have no fee for admission. 
Mr. Muyer thought ten guineas not too much for examination and admission 
as a member of the body corporate. He did not think the pupils were now put to 
any more expense than formerly; for in his time he had to pay £\0 or £15 more 
than the usual College fee to obtain information in order to qualify himself for his 
examination. It is true, that this additional information was now obtained at the 
Royal Veterinary College, without any extra payment. 
Mr. Dickens asked if the College of Surgeons ever wanted candidates, because 
the fee of admission was twenty-two guineas. 
Mr. Burley opposed the motion. If the fee was lowered, a class of men would 
be produced similar to those emanating from the Scotch school. If a pupil de¬ 
clined to pay his ten guineas, he ought not to come into the profession. Such 
men were not wanted. 
Mr. Cherry thought the dignity of the profession was maintained by the in¬ 
structions derived from the professors who taught the art, and not by the mere 
payment of an examination fee. 
Professor Simonds having briefly replied, a ballot was taken, when there ap¬ 
peared, against the motion 10 ; for the motion 7 : it was consequently lost. 
On the question of a Registrar being appointed, 
Mr. Mayer proposed that the duties of that office should be performed by the 
Secretary during the ensuing year. 
Professor Morton had no desire unnecessarily to increase the duties of their 
Secretary, nevertheless he seconded the motion, because it was well known there 
was now comparatively little to be done. 
The Secretary having expressed his willingness to undertake the duties of the 
office, that gentleman was unanimously elected. 
On the motion of Mr. Wilkinson, seconded by Mr. Peecli, it was unanimously 
resolved, that a douceur of £25 be presented to Mr. A. Cherry, the late Re¬ 
gistrar, as a testimonial of the manner in which he had performed the duties of 
his office. 
Professor Simonds proposed that an allowance of £125 be placed at the disposal 
of the Secretary for the present year; being an increase of £25 over the sum 
voted last year. He was sure that the Council felt they could not have a more 
efficient Secretary than Mr. Gabriel, and that he had been hitherto very badly paid. 
The Secretary thought the funds of the College did not admit of the proposed 
increase, and expressed a wish, with thanks to Professor Simonds for his motion, 
that the allowance should at present, at least, remain as heretofore. 
