134 
VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
Wednesday, December 30th. 
This case, begun on Monday, was continued to-day. 
The Lord Advocate addressed the jury on behalf of the defenders. 
At tlie outset of his speech he directed the attention of the jury to 
the nature of the evidence which had been led for the pursuer, 
remarking that the pursuer, without any previous notice, had raked 
up what lie could to prove malice against the defenders, and main¬ 
taining that there was not the slightest foundation forwdiat had been 
attempted to be proved. He quoted from the regulations for the 
management of the college in order to show that the council was 
charged with the regulation of the educational details of the college; 
and alluded to the circumstance that, notwithstanding the charge 
of malice attempted to be proved against him. Principal Williams 
had recommended Mr. M‘Bride to the Highland Society for the 
chair of cattle pathology, although he knew he was a Gamgeeite. 
He submitted that all the circumstances established by the evidence 
showed that it was the wildest delusion to suppose that Principal 
Williams or Dr. Dalzell had been actuated by malice towards Mr. 
M‘Bride, or had prompted the disturbances in the pursuer’s class ; 
and contended that Mr. M‘Bride, although he might have been a 
good lecturer, had not succeeded at the first in obtaining the con¬ 
fidence and respect of his pupds. That had been the case with 
many a good and able man before ; many an able man had failed as 
a teacher, not because he w^as not perfectly qualified to teach, but 
because he had not succeeded in gaining a personal influence over 
his students. He referred to the refusal on the part of the Town 
Council to induct Mr. M‘Bride, or to print his name in the summer 
programme of the studies, as circumstances which might have 
occasioned the demonstrations by the students adverse to Mr. 
M‘Bride. Adverting to the circumstances under which the letter 
on which was founded the action against the defenders was written, 
he remarked that the credit of the institution was in danger in con¬ 
sequence of the disturbance, and that nobody could doubt that at 
the time those disturbances had occurred, and when twenty-eight of 
the students had signed a petition in which they had expressed an 
opinion that Mr. M‘Bride daily showed his incompetency to teach 
his class, a proceeding on their part in the highest degree inde¬ 
corous, Mr. M‘Bride had lost the confidence and respect of his 
students. He argued that it w as the resolution of the Tow n Council, 
suggesting to the Highland Society the propriety of electing some 
professor in room of Mr. M‘Bride, solely on the ground that he was 
a Gamgeeite, and not the letter written by Principal Williams in 
name of the Veterinary College Council, unanimously agreed to, 
which had caused Mr. M‘Bride’s dismissal; and proceeded to com¬ 
bat the various allegations stated by the other side to prove malice 
on the part of the defenders against the pursuer. He severely criti¬ 
cised the evidence of Catherine Smith, remarking that her story was 
w’holly uncorroborated, affirming that her story was utterly false. 
