The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-29 00:00:00

THE ELECTION COMMISSIONS.

FuILEION CATTLE TRADE ASSOCIATION,

The first annual mevting of the abot•e association
was held yesterday at the Green Dragon Hotel, Bishops-
gate-street, for the purpose of receiving the report of U.e
committee, and for other business. The chair was taken
by Mr. CHARLES Hicks, cattle salesman. The secretary,
Mr. John Irwin, read the following report :

" In presenting the first annual report of the working of
the Foreign Cattle Trade Association, your committee
believe much muse fur congratulation to exist ; the pres-
tige of an united trade having enabled your committee to
bring the interests and exigencies of the commerce in im-
ported cattle before the authorities and the general public
in a manner that has tended to further the attainment of
the objects for which the association was founded. The
parliamentary inquiry into • Trade in Animals' was
naturally the subject of your ommuittee's anxious attontion
from the knowledge at interested and unfounded

statements respecting the health and condition of
foreign stock, and the mode of trade in im-
ported cattle had occasioned both in and out of
parliament most unfavourable impressions as regards this
important Hattie, anal there can be no doubt that the
select committee of the House of Commons charged with
this inquiry entered upon their labours with a strong bias
towards restrictions that would, if carried into execution,
have materially impeded the prosperity of the trade. Your
committee have now the satisfaction of reporting that,
after hearing evidence of an exhaustive character, given by
p"olrteTtlen; byhteabuilikherstbe pinriutchtilmelrfttisiowhelis, reandcatrt aremanintl:
teetering and country districts ; by railway and steam-
rit=raililleseparagr=irraW4rfrenttlillsr w
etealcidmatiosi, and the establis ent of a eons
jlanghter at the places of debamatien,-
sad the trade in imported animals left pric-
ticale same conditiee as heretofore • the select cow-
-1 inlets, of the House at Dominions, In tit. report of-the
17th of July last, having fairly and freely acquit-seed in the
predate/ opinioes expressed by the representatives of tlni
various interests connected with' importation who were
' examined upon • the subiese. The restrictitme upon the
I transit of cattle from fat stock markets continue to limit
the competition in the London market, and to en:algae a
' irigher rate to be paid for tattle in the manAstituringend
country ihittricts of &grand than hi the niiitropolis. There
is, however, little reason-Tot aroplidielding that etch state
of grain will be maintained. thaw the ce
lenge,/
of-the'eattle -plague shall render - rotessaly, lailVern7be
the future duty of the association to watch over the inte.
Dust* of the trade, and to Widen the to the
feseign *whet to inland buyers so soon as the rroauttggee
of vittdit shall render a freer transit of a=lattnob
jeationable. Durbig the exsitement animal by
the outbreak of cattle diseam, numinous demi-
tatters of your committee Waited upon the. govein.
vela* and the reemnniendations Uttered -by theta
at tboee opportunities were, subsequently idol =pos.
The recommendations of your committee were bpse4
the, as yet, unoontroverted theory that the cattle p e
broke cat is London, and was propagated timed. to sI
parts of Great Britain. Toni oetnalittee Adige that at
this principle had at first been adopted the p of the
dimes would here been speedily arrested, sad di& lois
to the country sad interruption to: tends stfoidlid. i The
heavy lemma that cattle iniporters suffered in the :with
Itirai last, through the stoppage of 'cattle at th ilthrvef.
gave occasion to your committee to address a•asemerral
u the oahjeot to the Privy Comical, and triiif %they'd.
tithe opinions that such memorial elicitag horn tbe
veterinary nsspastors at the port of Laudon, tower wtfh
the oridtecegieen %Pon the same subject deicer- Ira select
committee of the Howe of Commons upoa -*again
malt,liare given rise.to 'a change respecting thelmeitsaify
'fordatsdairm whole cargoes at the wharves Sae digiOdht of
indivdual animalsaidierin roan footand
1 aad it may be hoped tbgfa: at more favGorpeart6ll.,'
after the excitement caused bylbe prevideflet. of *mak
'shall have • subsided, a more motional insatmentehon now
obtains of the animals ordered for slaughter Lis &Tern-
' went inspectors, will be Introduced. The boattlituajeee-
velem' el cattle plague is Holland • hits rendereireuemory
the representations of your committet4p Lave had the
re-opening of the Dutch ports for rt ot 'beep for
their object, eicepting in therlineillrn districts 6? Holladd
where the non-ex at. disco" alai the,s44quscyiaf
the precauti by the Duteheethen_ PEP"
vent the ction o infection Wm other disfaiets were
proved.lol e satisfaction 'of thd Weis' h
Yew/ essinsittee feel that the reeumplien ce =et
from Holland is the moktimportant Abject hbr t. w4aiti
mand the attentitia of association w enter a
occurs So arfasasM 4e
'tar prospeetvwf meat, end wen the
adoption of measures that will afford the association latter
information of the cattle plague statistics of that country
than it has hitherto Telemark' ; otherwise the association
will, at any future time, labour under the disadvantage of
negotiating upon u subject upon which it has no reliable
data. In resiguing the honourable trust which was PO
freely imposed a year ago, your committee return their
sincere acknowlealgsateists for the Unwavering con.
Hence that the association has manifested towards
them. The acconipanying statement of receipt and expen•
&titre will show that a due rtgard to economy has
been observed in the prosecution of the objects for which
the association was established, and your camimittee hope
that the result of this its first year of existence will
demonstrate the advisability of itenvembers still continuing
with united efforts to promote the welfate and prosperity
of the foreign cattle trade."
The CIL AIRMAN moved the adoption of the report.
Mr. GCliklEliCOMll:lilleal of the injustice which was per-
vett:dell against certain province% of 11011aud, in prevent-
ing them sending cattle to this country. The breeders
having gone to gnat expense in rearing cattle suitable to
the British market, now found themselves prehibiteel from
exporting in sit province*. If these restrictions
were removed the price of meat would be
greatly reduced. At present it was imported as dead
meat, and was therefore often in a state totally unfit for
use. That very day n parcel hail and the
stench was so gicat that the inspector ran away. These
six provinces were entirely healthy, anal our govenuneut
knew it. The Dutch analsoisnelor bail given them written
proofs, and the fact was, that with proper inspection the
trade might be carnal o m with perfect safety. They all
knew that a pefllOU might as well attempt to move an
elephant from the wharf as a diseased animal unnoticed by
the insjsector. If free trade was to be the order of the
day, why restrict six healthy provinces of Holland from
mending over their slicep and cattle, and thus re-
ducing the price to the public twopence a pound?
(Hear, hear.) These six provinces had is cordon drawn
roundthein, so that it was impur..dble disease could COWL'
in from the south of Holland. The proviso es to which ho
alluded were lireathe, tiveryssel, Lieabeig, North I:tuba:it,
Gueldrelsed, and Zealand.
The report was agreed to.
Mr. l'ince fully agreed as to the injustice of which the
last speaker col:1111.Mo'. He believed tint if our govern-
ment were to turn their attention to the subject, they
would hod ample evidence to justify an alteration in the
present restrictions. There was laid, in fact, a single iota
of evidence to show that the cattle Macaw: was a foreign
importation. (Hear, hear.) A, MiliM-^quence of the restric-
tions., the dealers, in order to reduce the price to the
public, were obliged to import dead meat, which being
often corrupt, no mould aggravated the epidemic which
unfortunately now prevailed. They heard a great
deal of reform, but if they could obtain such a reform as
would enable them to give the public good and cheap meat,
it would be one of the most important of all reforms.
Mr. Botosoit defended the importation of dead meat at
certain seasons of the year, and thought the state:emus of
the last speaker calculated to produce a false impression.
Mr. lickintEg reiterated his assertion that a parcel of
I meat had conic up by the Crest Eastern Railway that
morning which was totally uubt for use.
Mr. l' • ,ote said that but for these restrictions 15,001)
sheep, and from 1,7k0 to 2,000 cattle would arrive weekly
in London more than were imported at present. lie lett
it to the meeting to say whether Well an importation
would not reduce the retail price of meet more than 2d. a
pound. (Hear, hear.) Dead sheep hail arrived that loom-
ing which hail been liked a week since, and had been sold
at 4d. and :OA a pouni., and that meat, Lye the time it
was retailed, would be wholly unfit fur human consump-
tion. (Hear, hear.) Let tires, if possible, have cheap
meat, but let it be in such a state as to be fit for use.
The CirSIRIIAN, in winding up the proceedings, observed
that the best thing for the trade would be unlimited free
trade. No doubt in many case, living importations would
be best, but at the some time a cormideraisle trade in dead
meat might be carried on with great public advantage.
The officers for the ensuing year were then elected,
being the same as those who now retired, and the meeting
terminated.

NORTH BRITIMII R.tiLwAY.—The half-yearly
meeting of this company was held at Edinburgh yesterday;
Mr. Hodgson in the chair. The chainiiiin was received
with hissing and cheers. lie assented to a committee of
inquiry, and proposed giving an option to the shareholders
to take dividends in the form of pieference shares. Ho
moved an instruction to the board to prepare a lion for
liquidating postponed expenditure without ineunibering
revenue. Having received proxies representing nearly
3,000,1100/., be regarded them as an expresrion of confi-
dence, and would therefore continue in of Mr. White
condemned the directors' policy of concealment, but pro-
mised to suppo.t their efforts to extricate the company
from its difficulties. He moved the appointment of a
committee of investigation, which was appointed accord-
ingly. The reports of the directors were received, but
' their approval was reserved. Dividends were declared ar.d
deferred warrants were to be issued in respect of them.
Thanks were voted to the chairman and Mr. White. The
proceedings lasted newly four hours.

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