The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-09 00:00:00

THE CENTRAL CHAMBER OF

ARGICULTURE
Th 3 first meeting of the council of the Central
Chamber of Agriculture for the present year took
place in London on Tuesday, at the Rooms of the
Society of Arts, Mr. H. Chaplin, M.P., president for
the year, occupying the chair. The Earl of Suffolk
WAS elected vice-chairman.

Tne Chairman presented a report from the Cattle
Dismees Committee, in which it was stated that, with
view to elicit opinion and afford instruction as t ) the in-
tereat of the consumer inthe question of the exclusion of
animala bringing foot•and-month disease from abroad,
the committee had arranged for public meetings in
various parts of the country ;it being added that such
meetings had already been held at Newcastle, Chester,
Reading Swansea, Birmingham, Canterbury, Preston,
ana Coventry, and that resolutions were passed
°sling upon the Government to rave effect to the vote
of the House of Commons in Xuly last. The hon.
gentleman, in moving the adoption of the report, said
there was every reasen to believe that the action of
the Chamber WM beginning to bear fruit and that he
was sanguine that no great amount of time would
elapse before the object will have been attained.
'me motion having been seconded, a discussion en-
sued, in which Colonel Paget, M.P., Mr. Heneage,
M.P., and other gentlemen congratulated the meeting
upon the manifest change of opinion on the subject in
the provincial press and in the Privy Council.
The report having been adopted, Mr, T. Bell (New.
castle) moved a resolution thanking the committee,
and declaring that—" In the event of her Majesty 's
Government failing to give a distinct intimation that
they intend at once to take measures for prohibiting
the importation of animals from foreign countries in,
fectecl with foot-andmouth direease, the council ac-
cords its hearty support to the course proposed to be
taken by the chairman of the Central Chamber in
moving an amendment to the Address."
The Hon. Finch Hatton having seconded the
motion, Mr. Wakefield (Kendal) expressed doubts as to
the expediency of moving an amendment to the Ad-
dress—a course which, he thought,would put too great
a strain on many Liberal members who were favour-
able to the object.
The Chairman, in reply, said if he could secure a
clear and distinct understanding that the Government
wou'd without delay take such measures as were
necessary to prevent the landing of foreign animals
from infected countries, he would et once withdraw
the amendment; but without such an understanding
he most use all the resources at his command to pro-
secnte the matter to a successful bane. The hon.
gentleman added that the following was the amend-
ment to the address which he contemplated propos-
ing "And we humbly beg leave to express to your
Majesty our regret that, notwithstanding a resolution
passed by this House on the 11th of July, 1883,
foreign live animals suffering from foot•and-mouth
disease have been permitted to land in this country
since the passing of the said resolution, and that
your Majesty has not been advised to take prompt
and adequate measures to prohibit such landing in
fritnre."

Mr. Bell's resolution was agreed to, and a petition
in accordance with it to the House of Commons
approved.
The meeting afterwards di-cus3ed the subject of
the collection and publication of agricultural statistics.