The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-18 00:00:00

The Cattle Plague.—The Board of Trade and
the Home Office.

The Secretary of the Board of Trade presents his
compliments to the editor of The Sun, and begs that
he will be good enough to publish the enclosed copy
of a correspondence that has passed between the
Board of Trade and the Home-office respecting the
collection of returns of the number of live stock in
Great Britain, together with a copy of the schedule
to be issued by the Board of Trade, and of a letter
that has been addressed by Sir George Grey on the
subject of the Lord Lieutenants of the several coun-
ties. The form will be sent to, and is to be returned
by, each occupier of land through the Post-office
(wherever available), and the return is to be made
by the occupier upon the day that will be specified
in the schedule, probably not earlier than the Ist
March, 1866, owing to the very large number of
schedules that will have to be printed and distri-
buted.
Whitehall, Dec. 16, 1865.

Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade,
Whitehall, 6th December, 1865.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Lords of the Com-
mittee of Privy Council for Trade to request that
you will move Secretary Sir G. Grey to cause the
magistrates in England and Wales (and the corre-
sponding authorities in Scotland) to be informed of
the steps about being taken by the Board of Trade,
for the purpose of ascertaining the number of live
stock existing in Great Britain.
My Lords rely much upon the good offices of the
county magistrates, whose assistance will be most
valuable in advising their own tenantry and the
neighbouring farmers to give prompt and careful
attention to the schedule to be transmitted to them
by post, for a return of the number of live stock
upon land in their occupation.
The published correspondence upon this subject
between the Cattle Plague Commission and the
Board of Trade will explain the object of the in-
quiry, and my Lords entertain the hope that the
required information will be successfully obtained
by volunary returns from the farmers and occupiers
of land. But it is very desirable that no means
should be neglected of guarding against the refusal
of information in consequence of misapprehension
on the part of the farmers as to the intentions of the
Government in making the present inquiry.
The collection of returns from so large a class of
persons as the occupiers of land in Great Britain can
only be undertaken by the Government ; and it is
of course desirable on the ground of public economy
that officers already employed in the public service
should, if practicable, be made available for collect-
ing the statistics of live stock.
In order, therefore, to avoid creating a new and
costly machinery, the distribution and collection of
the schedules will be entrusted to the Department
of the Inland Revenue, acting on behalf of the
Board of Trade.
The schedules will bear the Post-office stamp for
transmission to and return by each occupier of not
less than five acres of land.
There will, therefore, be no occasion to trouble the
occupiers by a personal application for the return, if
they will be good enough to fill up the schedule
and return it by post according to the address
printed upon it.
As the value of the information will depend upon
the completeness of the returns, it will be necessary
to make a further written or personal application to
occupiers who neglect to fill up and return the
schedule.
It is to be hoped that this trouble to the occupiers
and the officers employed will seldom be necessary,
as it will occasion delay in the publication of the
results of the inquiry • and an early knowledge of
the supply of stockin the country is manifestly most
desirable.
Every endeavour will be made to obtain the re-
turns with the least possible trouble and inconve-
nience to the occupiers of land, and it is the earnest
hope of my Lords English agriculturists will show
themselves as ready to afford information of such
special national interest, as the agriculturists in
Scotland, Ireland, and foreign countries.
Copies of the correspondence between the Cattle
Plague Commission and the Board of Trade, and of
the form of schedule to be issued by the Board
of Trade are enclosed, which my Lords suggest
should be transmitted with the letters from the Sec-
retary of State.—l have the hcnour to be, sir, your
obedient servant, J. EMERSON TENNANT.
The Under Secretary of State, Home-office.

Whitehall, Dec. 9.
Sir,—l have the honour to transmit to you the
copy of a letter with its enclosures, which has been
addressed to this Departmentby the Board of Trade,
and I have to request that you will be so good as to
cause the purport of it to be made known generally
to the magistrates of your county.
Her Majesty's Government have no doubt that
you will concur with them in the opinion that it is
important to obtain with as much accuracy as pos-
sible the information which the Board of Trade is
endeavouring to procure, and they trust that the
county magistrates will readily give any assistance
in their power towards the attainment of this object.
—I have, &c., _

. .
(Signed) G. GREY.
The Lord Lieutenant of the county of -.

Whitehall, Dec. 13.
Sir,—With reference to your letter of the 6th
instant, requesting that the county magistrates in
England and Wales (and the corresponding autho-
rities in Scotland) should be informed of the steps
about to be taken by the Board of Trade for the
purpose of ascertaining the number of live stock
existing in Great Britain, I am directed by Secretary
Sir George Grey to transmit to you for the informa-
tion of the Lords of the Committee of Council for
Trade, copies of the circular letter which has been
addressed to the Lords Lieutenants of Counties
throughout Great Britain.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) H. WADDINGTON.
Sir J. Emerson Tennent Board of Trade.
[Here follows the schedule referred to above.]