762

said "Aye," and, no one saying "No," the motion wasdeclared carried, and the meeting terminated with a vote ofthanks to the chairman. It is unnecessary to comment onthis reductio ad absurdum-the result partly of the insuffi-(jient notice.

THE SOCIETY OF FELLOWS OF THEROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS

OF ENGLAND.

A NEW association or Society of Fellows of the Royal’College of Surgeons of England has sprung into existence.Its birth and early growth are thus described in the actualwords of a circular which has just been issued to the

-Fellows, sigred by Mr. Herbert W. Page, Chairman of the-Provincial Executive Committee, and Mr. F. C. Wallis, Hon.Sec. "The recent decision of the Council of the Royal’College of Surgeons that two meetings of Fellows shall beheld at the College in the course of each year has been

,regarded as a movement of so much importance in the historyof the College that a private meeting of thirteen Fellows--one drawn from each of the London medical schools-was

-recently called to consider whether any, and if so what, stepsshould be taken to enable the Fellows by concerted action to,gain the fullest benefit for the College from this new privilege.Before taking any definite action thereon it was resolved toask the opinions of some thirty provincial Fellows, either-connected with medical schools or of repute in thechief towns upon the question and to invite them toattend a meeting in London. The replies were so gene-rally favourable to the views expressed in the letter sentto them that it was determined to invite other London- Fellows to the number of two more from each of themedical schools to attend the meeting." This meeting was-held at 11, Chandos-street on March 8th, and was attended’by thirty-three Fellows of the College, the majority of whom’are teachers in the medical schools. The following resolu-tions were passed unanimously : 1. That it is desirable thata Society of Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons ofEngland be formed. 2. That a circular be addressed to allthe Fellows of the College inviting them to attend a meeting’With a view to the formation of a Society of Fellows, andthat any Fellows unable to attend be requested to signifytheir willingness or otherwise to join the proposed society.-3 That a provisional executive committee be appointedto carry out the foregoing resolutions and that it do’consist of the chairman, Mr. Page, and Messrs. Bennett,Treves, Golding-Bird, Bowlby, and Wallis. The Societyof Fellows is intended to be formed "on the widest.and most representative basis, not only that the Fellowsthemselves may derive such advantages as will accrue

to them from the recent action of the Council, but alsothat all matters which from time to time must engagethe attention both of the Council and the Fellows may beproperly ventilated and discussed. It is hoped that the,attitude of the Society towards the Council will be one offriendly criticism, and that its action towards that body willbe guided solely by the expressed opinion of the Fellows-upon such questions as may arise." The points to which theattention ot the Society is to be directed at present are-

"(a) The desirability of holding meetings for the dis-ccussion of matters concerning College management and for- eliciting opinions which may be regarded as representative of’..at least the majority of the constituency.

" (b) To give the Council the support of its constituency in’any steps thought necessary to be taken for obtaining such- alterations in the Charter as shall better enable it to dealwith any Fellows or Members who have been guilty of pro-fessional misconduct.

" (c) By well-digested argument and in such a manner as torepresent the opinions of the majority of Fellows to urgeupon the Council such reforms as may be considered neces-.-sary."We have referred further to the matter in a leading article.

ON Wednesday last the Lord Mayor presidedat the annual meeting of the Royal Hospital for Diseases ofthe Chest, City-road, E. C., and, after inspecting the wards,presented the hospital with ten guineas.

CONVOCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OFLONDON.

WE are glad to be able to furnish in the following articlean account of the position of Convocation in reference tothe report of the Gresham University Commission.At the special meeting of Convocation of the Univer-

sity of London, which has been summoned for Tuesday,April 10th, at 5 P.M., the Annual Committee will presenta report on the report of the Gresham University Com-mission. This report commences with a historical sketch

of the connexion of Convocation with this movement

and will explain the attitude which it is likely to adopttowards the scheme of the Commissioners. Convocationhas consistently advocated the policy of enlarging the

scope of the University of London by engrafting teachingupon its present examining functions. It carried a resolutionto this effect moved by Lord Justice Fry on Feb. 24th, 1885.A scheme prepared by a special committee of Convoca-tion was adopted by that body on June 29th, 1886,which had for its objects—(1) to bring the teachers,the examiners, and the Senate into closer relation withone another; (2) the revision of the affiliated Colleges,so’ as to give their representatives opportunities of de-liberating with one another and of formally communicatingwith the Senate ; (3) the promotion of higher Universityteaching ; and (4) the increased representation of Convoca-tion on the Senate. Negotiations were proceeding with theSenate when the petition of University and King’s Collegesfor the creation of a new University led to the appointment ofthe Royal Commission of 1888. The Commission reportedon April 29th, 1889, and, whilst equally divided between thewisdom of remodelling the old University and creating a newone, advised unanimously that time should be allowed tothe Senate and Convocation to consider whether they wouldapply for a new charter extending the functions of the Uni-versity to teaching in accordance with the suggestions in thereport. Schemes were drafted by the Senate, and counter-proposals were made by University and King’s Colleges inwhich the committee of Convocation was not consulted.The committee, however, secured certain emendations inthe Senate’s scheme, and, among others, a recognition of"the proposal of Convocation to the effect that the Univer-sity, in order to become a Teaching University, should takepowers to establish professorships or lectureships for thefurtherance of regular and liberal education and of originalresearch, under which it was expected the University mightbe able to take under its direction the work here carried on

by the London Society for the Extension of UniversityTeaching." The Draft Charter of the Senate sub-mitted to Convocation in May, 1891, was considered to befar less satisfactory for the interests of higher educa-tion and the welfare of the University than the schemeadopted by Convocation in 1886 or that of the Com-missioners, from which it deviated in important par-ticulars. In view of the new departures of the Senateit was naturally desired that Convocation, in whom theacceptance or refusal of a new Charter is vested, should haveample opportunity for" a full consideration of the case in allits bearings. " By the ruling of the chair, however, the Senate’sscheme, including the modifications of, and departures from,the Commisssioners’ suggestions, had to be accepted or

rejected en bloc. It was rejected by 461 to 197. From thisit will be seen that Convocation never had any oppor-tunity of agreeing to or dissenting from the scheme of theRoyal Commission of 1888, or of applying for such newCharter as was contemplated by the Commissioners of 1888in the 37th clause of their report. The rejection by Convo-cation of the revised scheme was followed by the petition ofUniversity and King’s Colleges for the foundation of a new Uni-versity, at first called the Albert, but ultimately the GreshamUniversity. This petition was considered by a Committeeof the Privy Council and with some modifications was agreedto, but the Gresham University Charter failed in consequenceof opposition in the House of Commons, where an addresswas carried without a division praying her Majesty to with-hold her assent, and was referred to the Royal Commission,whose report has just been issued. Convocation entrustedits interests to the annual committee, who proceeded to

draft a scheme for the reconstitution of the University, in