The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-18 00:00:00

THE CATTLE PLAGUE.

The adjourned report of the Committee of General Pur-
poses was brought under consideration. It stated that the
committee had had under their consideration the memorial
of the inhabitants of Hosier-lane, City, respecting the
nuisance caused by a slalighter-houso in that locality, with
regard to which the committee had had prepared a state-
ment by the medical officer of health in connexion with the
slaughter-house in question, with a view to a memorial to
issue from the commission being addressed to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department, in order to secure the
removal of the slaughter-house referred to ; but the com-
mittee thought it right that the question should be brought
before the court itself before memorialising her Majesty's
Government thereon.

A deputation consisting of salesmen in Newgato and
Aldgate markets, and of the proprietors of slaughter-houses
in those localities, again attended the court, and entered
their strongest opposition and protest against the removal
as suggested, urging that the result would be serious injury
to them in their respective trades, and would entail a serious
money loss on them individually and collectively.
A protracted discussion followed, in which several
members of the court advocated the removal, but urged
that the parties should be fully and fairly compen-
sated. On the other hand, it was argued that if the
closing of this particular slaughter-house were carried, the
movement ought to extend to every other slaughter-
house within the City of London. That subject was not
yet ripe for discussion. Ultimately the subject was refer-
red back to the Committee for General Purposes for recon-
sideration.

The Clerk of the Commissioners (Mr. Daw) read the fol-
lowing communications which ho had received from Mr.
Arthur Helps, of the Privy Council-office, dated the 11th
October inst. Tho letter was as follows :—" Sir,—Refer-
ring to the correspondence which has passed between the
Prig y Council-office and the Commissioners of Sowers
with respect to the disposal of animals that have died from
disease of•the cattle plague, or have been slaughtered in
consequence thereof, I am directed by the Lords of the
Council to write you as follows, for the information of the
Commission. Their Lordships have consulted Secretary
Sir George Grey upon the subject, and had received from
him a letter written by his direction, a copy of which I
herewith enclose :

" The inspectors appointed by the Clerk in Council for
the metropolitan police district have been instructed not to
order the burial of any animal in any place where to do so
would be likely to be injurious to the public health. In
that district, therefore, subject to the following instruc-
tions, the disposal of the animals that have died from the
cattle plague, or have been slaughtered in consequence
thereof, will take place according to ono or other of the
three following methods :—No. 1. Where there is a suit-
able place immediately adjoining promises where animals
have died or been slaughtered in consequence of the cattle
disease, the care-ages may be buried there with their skins
on, with a sufficient quantity of quick limo or other disin-
fectant, the carcases being covered with at least five
feet of earth. No. 2. When it is not desirable to bury
the animal in or immediately adjoining the premises,
the inspector is to havo the carcase disinfected, and
afterwards to see it disposed of, with the consent of the
owner, in such manner as the inspector may direct. No. 3
directs--' That when the owner cannot properly bury the
animal on or near his premises, or when he will not con-
sent to the disposal of the carcase in such manner as the
inspectors may direct, and the leaving the carcase unburied
will give rise to a nuisance, the inspector will be directed
at no loss of time to give notice to the inspector of nui-
sances for the district, or to the police, in order that im-
mediate steps be taken under the Nuisances Removal Act,
under the supervision of the local authorities. The Lords
of the Council having every wish to facilitate the disin-
fecting and disposal of diseased animals have ordered that
disinfectants be supplied to the inspectors of the metropo-
litan police district, for use within the limits of the dis-
trict.' This letter was signed "Arthur Helps," and en-
closed the following letter, already referred to, and ad-
dressed by Mr. T. G. Baring to the Clerk of the Privy
Council. The letter was couched in the following terms,
under the date of the 10th Oct. inst. :—" I am directed by
Secretary Sir G. Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the sth inst., transmitting a copy of the correspon-
dence between the Lords of the Council and the Commis-
sioners of Sewers, upon which you request his opinion and
advice. lam directed by Sir G. Grey to state that he
concurs in the opinion you express, to provide places for
the disposal of diseased animals, but that in his opinion
the matter was one which was not within the province of
the Government to undertake, as the provision should be
left to the local authorities. It certainly must be dangerous
to bury diseased carcases in thickly-populated districts,
but Sir G. Grey has received a representation that the in-
spectors had not exercised improperly the power given to
' them under the 10th section of the order in Council of the
22d September last. With reference to the authority to
direct the disposal of carcases, with the consent of the
owner, otherwise than by burial, Sir George Grey has
recently sent to the Lords of the Council a report
-
flaunrnd,ishtehde
itonspeheitmor,
of a t
buhriisals,r
that moans
a i ollis n °
to the Lords of the Council, and if ormtn on b
existed by which carcasses of diseased
ecishuws‘i
n animalsgby M r
can 110
be
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completely disinfected. Othereffteo?tz.vef meanssupply the means of
maybe k.
sub-
ject is given to the public, and the inspectors of cattle are
authorised, when necessary,thoroughly, disinfecting the carcases at the place of death,
there seems no doubt that they may be thoroughly and
safely disposed of without providing special places for such
purpose. Should the owners of carcasses of diseased animals
refuse to obey the direction of the inspectors as to theirdis-
posal, Sir G. Grey would suggest that application should
be made to the inspector of nuisances of the district, or to
the police, in order that the provisions of the Nuisances
Removal Act may be put in force under the supervision of
the local authorities."

The CHAIRMAN said it was quite clear the Government
would not do anything, and therefore the matter was at a
stand still.

The letters and the preceding matter were referred back
o the select committee.

THE REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF REALTY'.

The report of Dr. Letheby stated that the slaughter-
houses and markets had been duly inspected, and the officers
had condemned 4,5511 b. of moat as unfit for human food
during the past week, consisting of 19 sheep, 2 pigs, 40 qrs.
of beef, and 23 joints of meat. During the last week there
had been 52 births and 46 deaths, the latter being at a lower
average than for the corresponding week of tho previous
ten years. The causes of death were as follows :—From
phthisis, 7 ; from mesenteric diseases, 4 ; from bronchitis,
1; from continued fever, 3 ; from whooping cough, 2 ; from
scarlet fever, 3 ; from measles, 2 ; from small pox, 1; and
from diarrhoea, 3. Those indications, therefore, of the con-
dition of the public health were satisfactory.
The remaining business, which was of a routine charac-
ter, was then disposed of, and the court adjourned,