The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-05 00:00:00

WILTSHIRE.

One of the most numerous and influential meet-
logs of magistrates ever held is the county took place yes-
terday at Devizes. Sir John Awdry, the Chairman of Quar-
ter Sessions, presided; and amongst others present were
the Marquis of Ailesbury, Lord-Lieutenant of the county,
the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Marquis of Bath, Lord Suf-
folk, Lord Folkestone. Lord Andover, Sir John Neeld, Bart.,
M.P., Mr. H. D. Seymour, M.P., Mr. Alfred Seymour,
M.P., Mr. T. F. Grove, M.P., Mr. Gabriel Goldney,
Mr. W. P. Long, M.P., Mr. W. Ewert, M.P., and upwards
of sixty other magistrates. The Lord•Lteuteoent, in open-
iog the discussiou on the questioo, dwelt at some length
upon the importance of dealing with the subject of the
cattle plague in a broad comprehensive spirit, with the view
of obtaining uniformity of Actium, at all events throughout
the county of Wilts. His lordship submitted a aeries of
resolutions which he had prepared on the subject. The first
of these was to the effect that in order to carry out the
order of council of December 16 it was expedient that a
committee of magistrates should be formed for the purpose
of ascertnioieg the provisional requirements of the petty am-
Monet divisions and reporting thereon to an adjourned ses-
sions.— Ihe Marquis of Bath seconded this motion, which,
aft, r considerable discussion as to the course to be adopted,
was at length unanimously agreed to. —ll r. Phippecomplai ned
that much valuable time would be lost by waiting for the
report of such committee, urging that eight orders of the
Privy Council had already been issued on the subject, and
that the last order ought to have been issued at
first, fur it was only a similar order to one which
was issued when the cattle plague previously cool.
iudted such ravages in this country in the year 1751.
—Lord Folkestone complained of the want of power to stop
the conveyance of cattle by rail as well as by road.—The
Marquis of B ith urged that though he quite agreed as to
the to ceuity of soma stringent measures, null the measures
ought Dot to be too stringent, and he thought they ought to
'auction the removal of cattle into districts under certain I
restrictions, and with the pass of two magistrates of the I
healthy districts into which such cattle might be brought.—
The Marquis of Ailesbury next moved, and the Marquis of
Lansdowne seconded :—" That it be an instruction to the
committee to confer with similar committees in neighbouring
couut les. with the view of obtaining, if possible, uniformity
of regulations io the adjoining counties."—Lord Folke-
stone thought some power was required to stop
cattle on the road. At present they had no power to
impound cattle or arrest the driver. They must summon
the owner, in the meantime the cattle went through the
ilistricL lie thought they should apply to government
fur power to stop and impound or destroy ell cattle found
passing from cue county to another, and to take into
custody all persons found engaged in removing such cattle.
The motion was unaninotpisly agreed to. On the motion of
the Marquis of Aylesbury, seconded by the Marquis of
Lansdowne, it was next resolved :—" That the
Court of Quarter Betio s should be adjourned
from time to time iu such manner as shall best
secure the above objects being legally carried out."
It was resolved ou the motion of Mr. Nelson
Goddard, seconded by Mr. R. P. Long, M.P., "That the
removal of all cattle, as defined by the fourth rule of the last
order of council, from any parish or place in the county of
Wilts to any other perish or place in the said county, and
the introduction of all cattle into any parish or place within
the said county, be in the interval before the committee
reported prohibited from the 3rd of January for one
month, and that then, if reqiured, the prohibition be ex-
' tended for one month." Ou the motion of Lord Ailesbury,
' seconded by Lord Suffolk, it we. next resolved," That the
muoicipal authorities in boroughs and towns within the
county be invited to cooperate with the Court of County
Quarter Sessions." It was explained that Mr. Goddard 's
motion did not at present itclude sheep and pigs, though it
might be made to do so if the court deemed it
necessary. Mr. Lopes urged that the measures
hitherto adopted by the Privy C iuncil had been
very inadequate to meet the exigencies of the
case, and in fact each bad only exceeded its
predecessor in impotency. He concluded by moving the
' following resolution :—" That the magistrates of Wilts
have viewed with extreme .alarm the tepid strides which
the cattle plague has made throughout Engleni, and this
court feels the necessity for parliament taking some imme-
diate steps tie preventing the importation of foreign cattle,
except under such regulations as shall secure their being
killed at the port of debarkation, and the immediate (lisle-
(actin of their hides, horns, and hoofs ; and also the
adoption of such measures as will prevent cattle being re-
moved by reway, such removal being in their judgment
one of the most certain means of enlarging the sphere of
the cattle plegue and the fatal contagion of this dire
disease." Mr. IL P. Long. M.P., seconded the motion, which
was unanimously adopted.