§ Mr. Fox Maulewished to ask the right hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department; first, Whether he has it in contemplation to grant a charter to the College of Surgeons? Secondly, If so, whether he will have any objection to lay the draft of that charter before Parliament? And, thirdly, whether, if the charter be granted, he means it to be acted upon before the Government takes up the entire question of medical reform?
§ Sir J Grahamcould state in reply to the right hon. Gentleman, that in his consideration of the subject, wish the view of framing some measure of medical reform which he could submit to the House, various changes of the present constituted medical bodies came under review. Some of these bodies were constituted by charter, and, of course, these could only be dealt with through Parliament—and others possessed their powers under charters issued under the prerogative of the Crown, which must be dealt with in another way. The renewal of the charter of the College of Surgeons was under consideration, and the draft of the proposed charter was now before the law officers of the Crown; but he could not give any assurance to the right hon. Gentleman that he would lay a copy of this before Parliament, previous to its receiving the sanction of the Crown. This was not the usual course, as the right hon. Gentleman must be fully aware. He could not pledge himself as to any prospective plan of medical reform, nor as to what would be the nature of the changes which he should propose in the new charter which was proposed to be given to the College of Surgeons.