MR. NEVILLE-GRENVILLE said, that representing one of the largest agricultural constituencies in the kingdom (East Somerset), he should be sorry to allow the Bill to pass into Committee without saying a few words on the subject. He represented a large cheesemaking county, and were the plague to inflict it, it would perhaps suffer more than any other county in England. It was a county where the most stringent regulations had been carried out. His experience, however, convinced him that Government action was decidedly necessary. However strict were the orders of quarter sessions, they were found to work most inconveniently, as they differed materially from those of the different boroughs in their districts. The very transit of cattle by railways created great confusion; and he had heard farmers say that from the vexation arising from the different regulations on the one side and the other, the remedy was almost worse than the disease. A farmer within his district had been recently summoned before the petty sessions on a charge of having transgressed the orders of the magistrates. For his defence the farmer produced the letter which he (Mr. Grenville) would now read to the House

and should rest upon a distinction between | authorities, on the other it would be a most infected and uninfected districts; that there foolish and disastrous course to withdraw should be the most stringent measures for all discretion from these authorities. the former, whilst in the latter the system should be one which could be carried out by farmers who had to live by their farms. He wished to make one suggestion. He would strongly advise the Government to secure for the proper carrying out of the provisions of the Bill the co-operation of practical men through the country. The Government should also retain in its hands the power of overruling any local authority which should, from some local feeling, such as the influence of some crotchetty individual or from any other reason, shrink from doing its duty. He had lately waited on the Home Secretary with a deputation from the Royal Agricultural Society and pointed out the wants of the West of England. In that part of England they were more anxious about the breeding than the feeding of cattle. Indeed, that observation applied to the whole of Wales and the West of Scotland; it was, therefore, important that they should have well-guarded means of moving cattle to the feeding districts. That deputation was in favour of the scheme proposed by the late Member for Whitby-namely, that no prohibition should be placed in the way of sending cattle to market, but that no animal should leave any market alive. The deputation impressed on the Home Secretary the necessity of making this Order, and the reply of the right hon. Gentleman was, "Why don't you do that yourselves? you have full power to do it.' Many of the gentlemen present were not up to that period quite aware of the powers which the Order It thus appeared that the Orders in in Council gave to the local authorities. Council, as expounded by the Secretary of On the day after the interview with the State, differed altogether from those of right hon. Gentleman, he (Mr. Acland) re- the magistracy. In the face of such morturned to his county, and induced a Society tifying facts it appeared to him that representing six counties to put itself in Government action was highly necessary. communication with the lords-lieutenant and He therefore hailed the Bill before the justices of peace of those counties. They House, not because it contained all that then took certain precautions, the result they wished, but because it showed of which was, that while Cornwall was full the Government were in earnest in their of the disease, Devon had almost entirely endeavours to meet the evil, and he sinescaped. A regular cordon was established cerely hoped that the result of the operaround the county as a whole, and round tion of the measure would be as beneficial all infected parishes; information of the to the country generally as they all desired. state of the disease was continually be- The orders of the quarter sessions difing received; and, in short, precautions fered not only from those of the Privy were taken by the local authorities that it Council, but the construction put upon them would be absurd to expect from any Govern- by the magistrates and their clerks was most ment. He therefore thought that while on conflicting. In his county there had rethe one hand Government ought not to en-cently sprung up a feeling that the time tirely give up their control over the local had come for, to some extent, modifying Mr. Acland

"Sir,-In reference to your letter of the 18th I am directed by Sir G. Grey to inform you that farmers may drive fat cattle to a railway station not situated in their own parish, provided it be the nearest available for the purpose.-I am yours, H. WADDINGTON."

whatever is done should be done quickly. There is a general agreement that the Bill of the Government should be read a second time-the Government taking the same course in regard to the Bill of the hon. Member for Northamptonshire

ing one which can be efficiently dealt with in Committee, and on which we shall be glad to have the opinion of the House. Therefore, I shall refrain from making any reply to the criticizm of the hon. Member for Northamptonshire on this Bill, and shall likewise refrain from offering any criticizm on his Bill. The debate, according to the rule of the House, must stop at a quarter before six o'clock; and I hope, therefore, that hon. Gentlemen will allow the two Bills to be read a second time, in order to fix the Committee for tomorrow.

MR. LIDDELL said, that considering the great importance of the Bill, he would suggest that there should be a morning sitting to-morrow.

the very stringent regulations in force to prevent the spread of the cattle disease. At a recent quarter sessions held in the county, a discussion took place with reference to this subject. But the chairman, Sir William Miles, a gentleman who had for many years sat in the House of Com--the point of difference between us bemons, expressed his opinion in favour of maintaining untouched the regulations at present in force, and read memorials supporting his view of the case from the two largest unions in the county. At the same time memorials, urging that the present regulations should be modified, were read from seven unions in the county. Before resuming his seat, he wished to make a remark with reference to the subject of compensation. From the manner in which this subject had been treated by some hon. Members, one would think that the farmers and stockowners when asking for compensation were asking for relief from a misfortune which had fallen upon them in the ordinary course of things. Now that view of the case would be quite correct if the agriculturists asked for com- THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEpensation for cattle that died of disease. QUER said, that if at such very short But it was one thing to have an animal notice the House determined on having die of disease and another to have a a morning sitting to-morrow, many hon. Government officer come into a man's Members might be prevented from atshed and nolens volens knock his cow on tending. Should the Bill not make rapid the head. It was said that farmers ask-progress in Committee, he would consiing for relief under such circumstances der the propriety of having a morning was similar to a merchant's asking Govern- sitting. ment for relief if his vessel were shipwrecked. Now, if a man's vessel were shipwrecked it was quite true that he had no right to look for relief to Government, but it would be a very different matter if a Government officer went on board a vessel, scuttled it, and sent it to the bottom. A good deal had also been said about the manner of raising the fund for compensation. Now he objected to the 5s. head money on cattle. There was not, he believed, a union in the county which had not established its own assurance company, the subscribers to which were obliged to pay 58. a head on their cattle. It would, therefore, be a hard case to increase the liability of those gentlemen to 10s. a

head.

He trusted that this Bill would be agreed to, and that no measure would be brought forward to encourage the destruction of calves, which would inflict lasting evils upon the country.

SIR GEORGE GREY: On one point the House is unanimous, whatever difference of opinion exists respecting the Bills that have been introduced that is that

Motion agreed to:-Bill read a second time, and committed for To-morrow.

Then the CATTLE PLAGUE BILL [Bill 7] read a second time, and committed for To

morrow.

SUPPLY.

Resolution, "That a Supply be granted to Her Majesty," reported, and agreed to, Nemine Contradicente.

SUPPLY
Friday.

Committee appointed for

House adjourned at half after Five o'clock.

HOUSE OF LORDS,

Thursday, February 15, 1866.

MINUTES.]-Several Lords took the Oath.
The Lord Petre took the Oath prescribed by the
Act 10 Geo. IV.

CATTLE PLAGUE QUESTION.

MOTION FOR PAPERS.

Several Petitions presented. LORD CAMPBELL inquired, Whether it is the intention of the Government, upon further consideration, to give effect to the suggestion made to them on Tuesday last by a noble Earl (the Earl of Derby) to the effect that, with a view of insuring more immediate action, Resolutions should be submitted to both Houses of Parliament, and as soon as these were adopted, that Orders in Council based upon them should

be issued?

EARL GRANVILLE: I am not aware of anything that has occurred since the discussion of Thursday last that would induce the Government to proceed by way of Resolution. As far as I am aware, from what has occurred in another place, there seems to be a very general concur. rence of opinion in favour of proceeding by Bill; and, without agreeing with the Government measure in every particular, that whatever is done in that way should be done as quickly as possible. At no distant date, therefore, I hope to be able to lay the measure itself before your Lordships. We are dealing with the subject as promptly as possible, and as several important points are raised by the new Bill my answer must be that it is not the intention of the Government to anticipate the introduction of the measure to your Lordships by moving Resolutions in both Houses of Parliament.

well as the number detained, and the cause of their detention, from the 3rd of December until the 15th of January inclusive. During that time 976 animals had been landed from Hamburg, Gottenburg, Rotterdam, or Boulogne, and ninetyone of them had been detained. Five of those detained were kept back because they were injured; one because it had cancer in the head; and the remaining eighty-five had eczema. He had inquired what eczema was, and had been informed from good authority that it was what was commonly termed foot and mouth disease, a disease which is very well known to all agriculturists to be one of the most infectious and most injurious diseases to horned cattle, though not necessarily destructive to life. The largest number of cattle landed at these wharves from any one ship during that time was 346 from Rotterdam on the 15th of December. His informant further ascertained that of a cargo of thirty-six beasts brought from Hamburg by the ship Castro fourteen were slaughtered at the point of disembarcation, because they had eczema, but the meat was certified to be fit for And the whole of a cargo human food. of thirty-three beasts landed from the ship Planet, from Hamburg, on the 15th of January, were slaughtered because they had the same disease; but they were all, with one exception, passed as fit for human food. The animal excepted was condemned, not because it had eczema, but because of "general decay." The compiler of the Returns then concluded as follows:

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY, in moving for certain Returns relating to the importation of cattle into the ports of "Being referred to the inspector's clerk to the Liverpool, London, and Hull, said, it Custom House for further information, I attended would be in the recollection of their there and saw Colonel Grey and Mr. Hood (Chief Lordships that in the course of a discus-calling for full details for December and JanuComptroller). The latter wrote to the inspector sion which took place on the subject two or three days ago, he had mentioned that a large number of diseased cattle were suffered to come into the market, and that his noble Friend opposite (Earl Granville) had said that he could give no information beyond the fact that very strict orders had been issued upon the subject. Under these circumstances, he (the Marquess of Salisbury) had caused inquires to be made in the neighbourhood of Blackwall with view to obtain some information with respect to the condition of cattle landed there from abroad. The person he sent had furnished him with a statement of the

a

number of cattle landed at Brown's and the Brunswick Wharves, Blackwall, as

ary, of every case of disease arriving at port.
The bearer of the letter, on his return, said that
the clerk on perusing the letter, intimated that
he should not send the information.' Mr. Hood
write to Mr. Nicholson with the details."
then promised to compel him to do so, and to
He thought the House should be made
acquainted with the strict instructions the
Government had issued, and should be in-
formed whether or not diseased cattle were
allowed under any circumstances to come
into the London market, and he would
therefore move for Returns to that effect.

Address moved for

jesty's Customs with reference to the Prevention "Copy of the Instructions given to Her Maof the Importation of diseased Cattle:

"Returns of the Number of Cattle landed at the same time. This was the more necesthe Ports of Liverpool, London, and Hull, with