& on the Surgeons side vizt.—
Mr. Serjt Dickins Willm Petty Esqr James Dansie Esqre Mr. Freke and Mr. Sainthill
be a Committe appointed to meet on Monday next at the Kings Arms Tavern in Saint Paul’s Church Yard at one of the Clock at noon to receive the proposals from the Gentlemen on the Surgeon’s side for such Separation, and that when they had so done that the Gentlemen on the Barber’s side members of this Court should lay the same before the Livery on their side, by a Meeting to be had for that purpose, and that a Court of Assistants should be held on the Tenth day of January next, at which time the Gentlemen on the Barber’s Side Members of this Court, should then report their opinion and assent or Dissent to such proposals made.
At the same time it was agreed that any Member of this Court should at any time have the free liberty of examining and inspecting into the several Books and writings belonging to this Company In case the same should be in the presence of the Master or one of the Wardens but not otherwise, but no such Books or writings be at any time removed from the Hall, on any account whatever unless by a special order of this Court first had and obtained for that purpose.
10th January, 1745. Pursuant to an Order of the last Court of Assistants the gentlemen on the Barbers side Members of this Court, did this day make their report on the proposals made by the gentlemen on the Surgeons side for a separation, by Dissenting in general to such proposals made.
By the Journals of the House of Commons, 18 George II, it appears that the Surgeons on 31st January, 1745, presented a petition to Parliament, in which among other things they recited the Act, 32 Henry VIII, and also that Charles I in the 5th year of his reign,
by Letters Patent under the great seal confirmed the Barber Surgeon’s Company in their possessions and privileges and gave the Company power to make by-laws and to constitute ten persons to be Examiners of Surgeons during their lives, and it was thereby further granted that no person whether freeman foreigner native of England or alien should practise Surgery in London or Westminster or within seven miles of the City of London unless previously examined allowed and admitted by the Company in manner therein mentioned; and that the Surgeons so examined might practise in any part of England; and that the Masters and Governors of the said Company might appoint and have a public lecture for the science of Surgery, for the better instruction and information in the principles and rudiments of the art and science of Surgery, and that no person exercising the art of Surgery within the limits therein mentioned should go out or send any apprentice or servant from the Port of London to serve in quality of a Surgeon for any ship without the approbation and allowance of the said Company, in such manner and under such penalties as are therein mentioned. That since the said Act for incorporating the two said Companies, those of the said Company practising Surgery have from their sole and constant study of, and application to the said science, rendered the profession and practice thereof of great and public benefit and utility to this Kingdom, and that the Barbers belonging to the said Corporation are now, and have been many years, employed in a business foreign to and independent of the practice of Surgery; and that the Surgeons belonging to the same Corporation, being now become a numerous and considerable body, and finding their union with the Barbers inconvenient in many respects and in no degree conducive to the progress or improvement of the art of Surgery, are therefore desirous that the Surgeons being freemen of the said Company, may be made a Corporation separate and distinct from and independent of the Barbers of, and belonging to the said Company; and therefore praying the House to give leave that a bill may be brought in dissolving and vacating the union and incorporation of the Barbers and Surgeons made by the said former act; and for making the Surgeons of the said Company a separate and distinct Corporation; and for making a partition and division of the real and personal estate and effects of and belonging to the said united Company, unto and for the separate benefit of the said two Companies so proposed to be separated, as to this House shall seem meet and reasonable.
Whereupon it was ordered—
That the said petition be referred to the consideration of a Committee and that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same with their opinion thereupon to the House.