350 
ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
May 1858, a letter was received from the Secretary of State 
for the Home Department, requesting that an accompanying 
memorial signed by 114 of the leading agriculturists of 
Scotland praying for the recognition of the new School, 
might be laid before the Council, and their opinion taken 
thereon. After a long and animated discussion, the decision 
arrived at was, “ That the Charter did not confer on the 
Council the power to interfere with the Schools and your 
Secretary was accordingly directed to transmit a reply to 
that effect. 
In July following, the subject was again brought before 
the Council, when it was announced that in consequence of 
the opposition of the Highland and Agricultural Society of 
Scotland, the sign manual had been refused. 
At a special meeting of the Council held in March last, a 
letter was read from the Secretary of the Lord Advocate of 
Scotland to your Secretary, stating that his lordship was 
desirous of having an interview with him, respecting the 
affiliation of the new Veterinary School at Edinburgh with 
the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. An interview 
accordingly took place in February, and the conclusion 
mutually arrived at was , c: That the responsibility of granting 
the sign manual rested on Her Majesty’s Government, and 
the responsibility of the result of the examinations on the 
Board of Examiners.’’ 
At the last meeting of the Council for the sessional year 
1858-9, it was announced that the sign manual had been 
granted. 
In the Board of Examiners some changes have taken 
place. Two gentlemen holding the highest rank in their 
profession tendered their resignation. Both were, never¬ 
theless, requested to reconsider the matter, when fortunately 
Mr. Turner sacrificed individual convenience to professional 
duty, and withdrew his resignation ; but Mr. Field declined 
foregoing the decision he had arrived at, and has consequently 
withdrawn from the Board. 
Another of the oldest members of the Scotch division of 
the Board, Mr. Williamson, died last year; two vacancies, 
therefore, existed in the staff of the General Board. The 
English vacancy has been filled by the election of Mr. 
Richard Pritchard, of Wolverhampton, and the Scotch by 
the election of Mr. Benjamin Cartledge, of Sheffield. 
Our esteemed President, being under the impression that 
some discourtesy had been done him, which was never for a 
moment dreamt of by those assembled around him at the 
time, resigned his office in the corporate body. His cessa- 
