HC Deb 20 August 1881 vol 265 cc595-7

Order for Committee read.

Bill considered in Committee.

(In the Committee.)

Clauses I to 14, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 15 (Title of existing veterinary practitioners to be registered in college).

MR. C. H. JAMES

begged to move an Amendment with a view to showing veterinary surgeons in the country what the fees for registration were to be, there being nothing in the clause upon this point.

Amendment proposed, At end of Clause, to add "Provided, That the fees chargeable under this section shall not exceed the registration fees of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons."—(Mr. C. S. James.)

Question proposed, ''That those words be there added."

MR. MUNDELLA

said, he thought there was no use in inserting these words, for the fees could only be settled by the Privy Council, and they would take care that they were moderate. Their idea was that the fees could be more moderate than the present fees.

Amendment negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Clause 16 (Penalty on false representation as to membership of college).

MR. H. G. ALLEN

said he thought this clause was a departure from the original idea of the Bill. The Preamble asserted that it was desirable that it should be better known what persons were duly qualified for veterinary practice; but it was clear that a person who had practised for five years was not necessarily qualified for the work, and the Preamble would be wrong, and the proposed lists would give no assistance in ascertaining whether a person was qualified or not. Those persons who had practised without a diploma should be left where they now were. He should propose to strike out the clause.

MR. MUNDELLA

objected to the omission, and the clause was retained.

Clause agreed to.

Clause 17 (Penalty on misrepresentation after 1883 as to qualification to practise and incapacity to recover fee, &c).

MR. WARTON

said, he had an Amendment to this clause to leave out all the words beginning at the last word of the third line on page 7, to the end of the sixth line. There wore in the country a number of extremely useful persons who, though not veterinary surgeons, were very skilful as farriers, and were very often extremely valuable in attending to animals; but if this clause stood that class of people would be done away with. It was right that a person wrongly describing himself as a veterinary surgeon should be made liable to a penalty, but the words following that provision would restrict the action of the useful class of men he had referred to.

Amendment proposed, in page 7, line 3, to leave out out all the words from the word "or" to "pounds."— (Mr. Warton.)

Question proposed, "That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause."

MR. MUNDELLA

said, he could not assent to this Amendment. The object of the clause was to impose a penalty for misrepresentation, and it did not affect the humble class calling themselves farriers so long as they did not describe themselves as veterinary surgeons. An immense amount of cruelty was inflicted upon animals by unskilled persons.

Amendment negatived.

Amendment proposed, "That sub-section 2 be omitted."

MR. WARTON

objected to veterinary surgeons being placed in the same position as physicians and barristers in regard to their fees.

MR. MUNDELLA

said, the object of the Bill was to avoid any distinctions between veterinary surgeons and others, and the Bill followed in this respect the Medical Acts and all Bills dealing with surgery.

Amendment negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Amendments made.

Remaining clause agreed to.

Bill reported, with Amendments; as amended, to be considered upon Monday next.