The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-08 00:00:00

which they wished to guard against. The resolu-
tion should prohibit as far as practicable all removal
of stock in the county, but he thought at the
same time that there should be certain excep-
tions. He did not believe it possible to prevent the
removal of cattle short distances—from one healthy
district to another: Mr. Anderson had said that
there would be no more difficulty in sending cattle
to be slaughtered at market than in sending dead
meat from Aberdeenshire to London. It would take
considerable time to organise such a system; and,
moreover, a large farmer would be in great difficulty
by it if organised, and likely to be at great loss by
being placed in the hands of the butchers, and not
obtaining a fair price. If such a plan were intro-
duced, it would cause butchers to go and slaughter
on the farms, which would be very dangerous indeed,
as they might even carry about the country the very
infection they wished to stop. The question of re-
moval required careful consideration, as did other
details of the measure, and the noble earl proposed
the appointment of a committee to deal with the
questions while the Court was sitting.

Sir M. W. RIDLEY said it seemed that the plague
was spread by animals being sent to market to be
sold as fat. They were taken to grass in the imme-
diate locality or purchased by small butchers for
the supply of the manufacturing and mining popu-
lation, who were considerable consumers of food,
and through those butchers and such removal the
disease was communicated throughout the west of
the Castle Ward. In one case a salesman took an
animal to Walker, and 15 or 16 others were infected
and destroyed, or died. The same result followed
taking some stock to Mickley. He did believe that
there was a general impression that the disease
would be best checked by allowing no beast sent to
market to leave alive. That might, according to
the last order of Council, be effected with the con-
currence of the borough authorities, provided the
slaughterhouse were contiguous to the place of sale.
The cattle-market was not within their jurisdiction,
and if they slaughtered the animals as they came
out they met with difficulty, as there was no suitable
provision. _

Mr. ANDERSON said they had no power to prevent
animals being shown in the Newcastle market, or
being put afterwards into the train and taken to
Morpeth.
Capt. BLACKETT thought it would be well to stop
the markets.

Earl GREY remarked that they could not do so.
Capt. BLAcKm said they might suggest that the
markets should be stopped, and read a paragraph
from a newspapei to show that the cattle-market at
Oxford had been prohibited without inconvenience
to.the butchers or customers, while prices were easier.
Earl GREY then rose to order, and recommended
that they should decide upon the several paragraphs
involved seriatim, and arrange the details in com-
mittee. He took it that they were all agreed as to
the desirability of preventing the spread of the dis-
ease by using prohibitory measures in accordance
with the Order in Council. (Yes.) He thought it a
great misfortune that by the Order of Council they
could not prevent cattle shown at Newcastle market
being taken to Morpeth, and thought application
upon that point should be made to Government.
The noble lord then inquired if they were all agreed
to endeavour to prohibit cattle being brought from
other places within their jurisdiction. With regard
to the next point—that of removal within the limits
of their jurisdiction—a sub-committee should be ap-
pointed, as he suggested, to consider the details.
Earl Grey, Mr. Anderson, ➢Zr. T. Ridley, Mr. C.
Grey, and Mr. R. B. Sanderson were then nomi-
nated a committee to consider the whole of the pro-
visions ; and after an absence of one hour and a
half they returned into court, when it was resolved
to prohibit, after the sth inst., the bringing of cattle
into any place within the jurisdiction of the Bench;
also that a license of two justices should be required
before any cattle bo removed from one place to an-
other, and to close all markets and fairs. On the
motion of Earl Grey it was further determined to
send a copy of these resolutions to the Home Secre-
tary, and at the same time to express the opinion of
the magistrates that the present regulations are not
sufficient to check the spread of the disease, the
Bench believing that a uniform and stringent mea-
sure should be adopted throughout the country on
the responsibility of the Government.