§ SIR W. JOLLIFFEI wish to put two questions to the right hon. Gentleman (Sir G. Grey) on a subject of great interest to an important class of the community. First, whether any application has been made by the presidents of the Councils of the Colleges of Surgeons, Physicians, and Apothecaries, for the purpose of ascertaining what course the Government intended to take as to the Bill (Medical Registra- 387 tion) now on the Table, introduced by the hon. Member for Finsbury. The second question is, whether the right hon. Gentleman (Sir G. Grey) is ready to abate any of the grievances to which the body of surgeons conceive they will be subjected, if a charter such as that contemplated under the Bill of the hon. Member for Finsbury is granted.
§ SIR G. GREYIn answer to the first question, I beg to state that I received yesterday a communication from the president of the College of Physicians, requesting that an opportunity might be afforded to a deputation from the college to state the nature of their objections to the Bill of the hon. Member for Finsbury. I also yesterday received communications from the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons, and from the National Institution of General Practitioners, expressing a similar desire. Under these circumstances had the hon. Member for Finsbury been in his place, I should have asked him to postpone his Bill to some future day, so as to allow these different bodies to state the nature of their objections to it. With regard to the second question, I have only to say that a representation has been made to me by the College of Surgeons, in answer to which I am not as yet able to give any distinct assurance, as the subject is still under the consideration of Government.