Taking the whole of the charter and the usage this construction will reconcile all the difficulties; the intention of the Crown was to incorporate the six persons named in the charter and all men practising physic at that time _de et in civitate prædictâ_; and all those persons were entitled to admission: but the Crown did not intend to give any right to those, who might thereafter become _homines facultatis_, but intended that the succession should be continued by the power incident to all corporations to elect. Had the charter of incorporation nominated every man authorised to practise physic in _London_ and given no directions as to the succession, they would have been authorised to continue themselves by election as they have done; and the charter has done the same thing in substance by incorporating the same persons by a general reference to their character and situation. This avoids all contradiction; it is consistent with the usage; and according to this construction no one is entitled as a matter of right but only by election. In making such elections there is a trust and duty to keep up the body by a choice of learned men sufficient to answer the purposes of the charter; and if this be done all the interest that the public have is consulted; they have no interest in this or that man being a member of the college: so long as the body is continued and there are proper censors elects and other officers, and so long as proper persons are licensed and improper ones restrained, the objects of the charter as far as concerns the public will be attained. We have been pressed however with the dicta of Lord _Mansfield_ in _R._ v. Dr. _Askew_; very great deference is always due to whatever fell from him: but it is sufficient to say that this was not the point then before the Court, the only question there being whether licentiates were of the body.
On the other question respecting the validity of the bye-laws, I can hardly add to what has already been said by the Court; and therefore shall only say that I agree with them in thinking the bye-laws reasonable.
London. ss. _Nos_ Johannes Warner & Thomas Adams _Vic’ Civitat’_ London, _Serenissimo Domino Regi in brevi huic schedul’ annex’ nominat’ ad diem & locum in eodem brevi content’ Certificamus, quod ante adventum nobis praedict’ brevis scil’ duodecimo die Septembris Anno regni dicti domini Regis nunc Anglie &c. decimo quinto_ Christoferus Barton _in dicto brev’ nominat’ commissus fuit Prisone dom’ Regis scil’ Computator’ scituat’ in_ Wood Street London _prædict’ & in eadem Prisona sub custodia_ Isaaci Pennington & Johannis Woollaston _tunc vic’ Civitat’ praedict’ & in eorum exit’ ab officio suo sub custodia nostra detent’ virtute cujusdam Warranti_ Otwelli Meverell, Laurentii Wright, Edmund Smith, & Willielmi Goddard _in Medicinis Doctor’ & Collegii Medicor’ in_ London _praedict’ custodi praedict’ Computatorii_ London _praedict’ vel ejus deputat’ direct’ Cujus quidem Warranti tenor sequitur in hæc verba_.