288 ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY AND TIIE VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
promoting the interests of Ireland, the matter was taken into 
serious consideration. If the Society had a duty to perform, 
it was not disposed to shrink from it; and it became the 
business of those who attend to such matters for the Society 
to know exactly what its duty was, and what means they 
possessed for performing that duty. A committee was ap¬ 
pointed to report to the council on the subject, and so deter¬ 
mined were the council and the Society to act according to 
the best information in the matter, that no fewer than three 
reports have been called for, and, in the light thus elicited, 
the Royal Dublin Society has at last come to a decision. 
Wh at that decision is, the following, which we take from a 
report adopted at the meeting of the Society, held on the 
4th inst., will show: 
“ In thus communicating to the Society the result of their 
inquiry, the council feel called upon at the same time to ob¬ 
serve that the question of establishing a Veterinary College 
for Ireland has not been confined to the walls of the Royal 
Dublin Society ; since the reference to the council in No¬ 
vember last, the prospectus has been advertised of a Joint- 
Stock Company, formed for a like purpose, upon commercial 
principles, under the provisions of the Limited Liabilities 
Act. Of that enterprise it may be said, that while it indi¬ 
cates a strong public desire for a national institution for 
the study of the veterinary art, the respectability of the 
names of the noblemen and gentlemen who compose the 
council for its government affords a guarantee that the under¬ 
taking has not been lightly entered into, nor without a 
reasonable prospect of success. 
“ The Society, being desirous that Ireland should not 
longer be unprovided with an institution so much required, 
would probably view with interest the efforts of an indepen¬ 
dent company to establish one; and, so far from attempting 
the establishment of a rival or competing college, would 
rather give countenance and encouragement to a national 
enterprise of so much importance. Taking this view of the 
matter, the council do not recommend that any immediate 
steps should be taken upon the reports now presented, but 
that, reading them in the Proceedings of the Society, any 
further action should be deferred until next session, whereby 
ample time will be given for the full development of the 
plans and resources of the company referred to.” 
These views and this conduct of the Royal Dublin Society 
are in the most perfect accordance with what we have re¬ 
peatedly said on this subject; and, although some time has 
been allowed by the directors of the college to elapse, out of 
r espect for the Royal Dublin Society, we feel perfectly 
