344 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
of the Highland Society, but the simple adoption of the 
report. Mr. Gamgee had been arguing that the existing 
charter was sufficient to enable them to obtain the privileges 
they desired, but he (the Chairman) agreed with Mr. Ernes 
in thinking that it was not, and that they were now in a 
position to ask the Government for privileges which the 
charter did not grant. 
Mr. Gamgee thought the members should carefully study 
the present charter before endangering their position. 
Mr. Helmore said he was glad to find that Mr. Ernes had 
his eyes open to the requirements of the profession; and 
since he had a seat at the board, he would, no doubt, do his 
best to see that they were met. 
The Chairman .—Before putting the question of the adop¬ 
tion of the report, I think it right to make one or two obser¬ 
vations. On looking at the charter, which I hold in my 
hand, I find amongst the names of the petitioners that of 
Professor Dick. It is, I believe, well known that long ante¬ 
cedent to the charter there w r ere two veterinary schools, one 
in London and the other in Edinburgh. The latter may be 
said to have arisen out of the former; and further on in the 
charter, where it sets forth the benefits which have been 
derived from the existing institutions to the public, it espe¬ 
cially dwells upon the advantages that have issued from the 
Royal Veterinary College in London; but it was deemed ad¬ 
visable, inasmuch as Mr. Dick’s school had been recognised by 
the Highland Agricultural Society, that the provisions of the 
charter should extend to Scotland, embracing his school as well 
as that of England. There is also a clause in the charter to the 
effect that any school which might subsequently receive the 
Queen’s sign-manual to teach should be embodied with the two 
existing schools. Now, long subsequently to the obtainment 
of the charter—indeed, only recently—Mr. Gamgee applied 
to Government, and obtained the Queen’s sign-manual; so that 
there are now three schools empowered to teach the veteri¬ 
nary pupil, and send him to the corporate body for exami¬ 
nation for the diploma of the Royal College of Veterinary 
Surgeons. At an early period, however, after the charter 
was obtained a misunderstanding arose between the members 
of the Council who were first appointed. It has been stated 
to you that a committee was early formed with a view of 
obtaining a charter. Such is the case. I and my then col¬ 
league, Mr. Morton, were not members of that committee; 
but my present colleague, Professor Simonds, was a member. 
The committee continued to sit for some years, bnt did not 
succeed. They did not succeed simply because the profes- 
