432 ROYAL COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SURGEONS. 
three passed, three were rejected, and four withdrew. The 
Secretary also read a letter from Mr. Cowie, offering to send 
a person from Bromley to give in an estimate for the repairs 
to the house, unless some one else had sent in an estimate. 
The Secretary read his reply to that letter, stating the 
Council had employed a person for the last seven years, who 
was well known to the house committee, and who had 
hitherto given satisfaction. Mr. Cowie’s reply to this 
letter was next read. 
The Secretary said he might state that Mr. Cowie was not 
the chairman on the occasion referred to, and that other 
members of the house committee had seen what was're¬ 
quired to be done. He was sorry that Mr. Withers was not 
present. The same man who had hitherto done the work 
was employed by Mr. Withers, who was so much pleased 
with the work that he had done at the College, that he called 
him in, and employed him on several occasions. He might 
also state, that he considered it very objectionable for a man 
to be sent all the way from the neighbourhood of Mr. 
Cowie’s residence to come and do so little repairs as were 
required. He (the Secretary) had hitherto superintended 
the repairs himself, and thought it would be objectionable 
for strangers to be coming into the College. The work had 
always been done satisfactorily. 
Mr. Cowie said that as to his being chairman, he was 
appointed the year before last as chairman, and he under¬ 
stood that so long as he was a member of the Committee he 
would remain as chairman. All that he wanted was that 
they should keep strictly to the terms of the motion and take 
an estimate, and not allow a man to come and do the work; 
and be paid what he chose to charge. 
The Secretary said that was never contemplated. An 
estimate had always been drawn out by the man, and, if 
acceptable to the Committee, passed and signed by them. 
Mr. Coivie said that his object was merely to know what 
the estimate was, and if it was thought by the Committee to 
be high, that they should obtain another estimate from some 
other person. He thought that it was very likely a country 
tradesman would give a more moderate estimate than a town 
one. He did not see any use in appointing a committee at 
all if they had not some power delegated to them as to the 
nature of the work to be done and the amount to be charged. 
He had every confidence that Mr. Coates would see that the 
work was as moderately estimated as possible, and also that 
it should be well done, only it was his impression that as an 
estimate was to be given in, the Committee should have 
