Page:Medical jurisprudence (IA medicaljurisprud03pari).pdf/361

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"profound sad and discreet, groundedly learned and deeply studied in physic." How or when the fellows are to be chosen or admitted is not directed by the charter: it is left to the discretion of the persons named in the charter under the general power given to them of perpetuating themselves and of making bye-laws. The charter is therefore silent both as to the election of fellows, and as to the examination of them before election: but the examination is incident to the power of election. The charter being silent on these heads, and the college having the power of making bye-laws, they have made bye-laws to ascertain a criterion of fitness of future candidates, by pointing out in some cases the mode of their education, in others the persons by whom they were to be proposed as candidates. One of these bye-laws is objected to as illegal, because it requires a degree to be taken at one of our universities, which (it is contended) is superadding a qualification to those required by the charter: but I think it is only ascertaining a criterion of fitness as has been done most properly in other professions in cases alluded to both at the bar and bench. Then it is said that a licenciate has an inchoate right: if by that Dr. Stanger's counsel mean that he has one qualification which when added to others may give him a right of admission, I agree with them; but the college are to judge of the other qualifications: if by this inchoate right they mean any thing more, I dissent from them. It is admitted by this application that the college have a right to insist on an examination: and upon what ground? as a test of fitness—but though this right is not expressly given to them by the charter, nor is there a word denoting any obligation either to admit or examine, it is incident to their power of judging who is fit to be admitted. That Lord Mansfield thought that they have such a right incidently is clear from what fell from him in Dr. Askew's case, in which he said, "It is true that the judgment and discretion of determining upon this skill ability learning and sufficiency to exercise and practise this profession is trusted to the college of physicians: and this