The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-13 00:00:00

that he believed ho had been duly elected, the hon. mem- believed that if Parliament had been called together two
her for the Tower Hamlets would withdraw his motion. months earlier and a measure brought in by the Govern-
Mr. AYRTON said, after the declaration of the hon. ment to stop the movement of cattle altogether, and stamp
member, he should not persevere with his motion, out the disease wherever it existed, the cattle plague would
The motion was then by leave withdrawn. not have prevailed to half the extent that it now did. For
THE CATTLE PLAGUE BILL. his part he would prohibit altogether the movement of live
Sir G. GREY, in rising to bring in this bill, said it was stock by rail and road. The hon. member also criticised
unfortunately but too true that the cattle plague had be- the leading provisions in the bill of the Government, and
come so prevalent that some action on the part of Parlia- shadowed forth the details of a scheme which he thought
ment was urgently and immediately required. The right preferable for meeting the circumstances of the crisis.
hon. gentleman having alluded to the various efforts that The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER assured the
had been made to stay the plague without success, said hon. member that Ministers would regard it as a great ad-
meetings had been held all over the country, and one vantage to have his bill laid upon the table, but he pointed
of the last resolutions passed at the Council of the Royal out the inconvenience and delay that must arise if indivi-
Agricultural Society, and which had been placed in the dual members pressed their own peculiar views upon the
hands of the Government that day, was that "no method house. He exhorted them, therefore, not to lose precious
of dealing with the cattle plague at the present time moments, but to render their assistance to the Government
will be of any avail unless it provides for the immediate in adopting effectual measures for putting a restraint upon
slaughter and burial at least 6 feet deep of all cattle suffer- this great calamity.
ing from the disease ; making compensation to the owners Mr. NEWDEGATE was not disposed to cast uncle-
,in such mode and extent as shall be considered advisable.'' served imputations upon the Government, but admitted
That was the opinion of various important bodies, amongst that in August, September, and October, notwithstanding
which was the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scot- he had endeavoured to raise a note of alarm in his own
leaf ; and as all efforts to arrest the progress of the disease county, he was not responded to by his friends, and there
had signally failed, and all suggestions had failed to effect was no doubt that public opinion was at that time very
Ia cure, it appeared to the Government that much divided on the subject. After the issue of the Royal
the only way of stopping the dangerous disease was the commission, however, Ministers certainly showed less
immediate slaughtering of all animals affected with the promptitude and energy than the country had a right to
terrible disease. (Hear, hear.) It had been strongly expect from them. With regard to the scheme before the
urged on the Government that during the exist- house, as it was designed not only to meet an emergency,
once of the cattle plague all imported cattle, but comprehended provisions that were to last for years,
sheep and swine should be slaughtered at the port at which it would have been better if the Government had proposed
they might be landed, and that their hides, skins, and fat resolutions with regard to the cattle traffic and cattle im-
be disinfected there, but he might as well mention that portations, and issued orders in Council upon such resolu-
Ireland would not come under the general bill, but would be tions without one day's delay. As ho viewed the bill it
dealt with in a separate measure. The bill of the Government fell short of its purposes by reason of its not proposing to
directed that the local authorities of counties and boroughs regulate the cattle traffic by railway ; and the provision
should at once order that all animals affected by the dis- with respect to the ports was defective, inasmuch as it did
ease should be slaughtered, and that adequate compensa- not limit the number of ports at which cattle might be
tion be given. The scale of compensation would be lower for disembarked, or provide for the establishment of a system
animals affected in comparison with those not at present of quarantine.
visibly so. The scale of compensation would be two-thirds In reply to a question of Mr. LEEMAN,
of the value of the animals slaughtered. On the subject Sir G. GREY explained that the bill would provide
of the removal of cattle the bill laid down statutory restric- that the tenant should be permitted to deduct half the
tions applicable to the whole of the country, leaving it open amount of the special rate levied upon him from his rent,
to the local authorities to apply them. For a limited period and so divide the burden with his landlord.
the removal of cattle by night would be entirely prohibited, Mr. C. BRUCE mentioned several points in respect of
and there would be a general prohibition to move cattle at which the bill was susceptible of improvement, especially
other times except by licences given by the local authori- he thought that more improvement might be derived from
ties under certain conditions. Instead of a penalty of £2O, the adoption of a proper system of disinfection than the
the driver would be liable to arrest, and the magistrates very rude method of pole-axing.
would be empowered to direct the slaughter of the cattle Mr. LIDDELL urged the danger likely to arise from
without compensation. The local authorities would be allowing the removal of town manure into the country.
empowered to declare a district infected, and upon their Lord J. MANNERS blamed the Government for not
notice being issued to that effect no further removals in having convened Parliament for a winter session, and
that district would be permitted under any circumstances. concurred with Mr. Newgegate in thinking that it would
The public sale of lean and store cattle would be prohibited have been better to proceed in the first instance by resolu-
for a limited period, and no market for fat cattle would be tion instead of by bill.
allowed to be held except with the licence of the local au- The discussion was continued by Lord R. Montagu and
thorities. No beast once brought to market should be re- Mr. Marsh.
moved before being slaughterd, and in small boroughs the Mr. G. HARDY admitted all the difficulties of the ques-
ccncurrent licence of the county magistrate would be ne- tion, and pitied those whose duty it was to initiate a mea-
sary to holding a fair or market. The bill further provided sure relating to it ; for to whichever side they turned there
that foreign cattle should not be removed from the port of were conflicting interests to be reconciled, and he thought
entry before slaughter—with the exception of cattle from the way in which to reconcile them was this. The house
Ireland, if they were immediately sent forward from the should bear in mind that they had to deal will*, question,
port without passing into a market where they might meet ho alleded particularly to the movement of cattle—which
with infected cattle. On the difficult question of compen- must be decided within a period of from four to six weeks ;
sation, which was to be retrospective, Sir George proposed and on that ground ho trusted the house would take upon
that two-thirds of it should be provided from the county- itself to say imperatively what should be done in that
rate, the remaining third by a cattle-rate net exceeding period, and not leave the power proposed to be created by
five shillings per head, power being given to borrow the bill in the hands of the local authorities.
money from the Public Works Commissioners on secu- Sir C. RUSSELL spoke in favour of the establishment
rity of the rates, and a discretion being also vested in the of dead meat markets at railway stations, and mentioned
magistrates to remit the whole or part of the rates in that the Great Western Railway Board had expressed their
cases where farmers had suffered severe losses. It was readiness to provide facilities for the sale of the carcases
also -.proposed to confer facilities for convening general carried by them at the Paddington terminus.
sessions for the purposes of the act. (Hear, hear.) Great Mr. AYRTON hoped the Government would take into
inconvenience had arisen from transferring these matters consideration how the metropolis was to be dealt with—
from the special sessions to the quarter sessions. It had whether it was to have a special authority conferred upon
been suggested that the magistrates should have some it, or the justices in quarter sessions were to exercise a
power vested in thorn of adjourning, from time to time, for divided authority over it.
the purpose of dealing with this subject. He had a letter Sir F. KELLY believed that even now, by adopting
addressed to him intmediately after the holding of the three distinct and intelligible measures, binding and com-
quarter sessions, telling him that the magistrates believed pulsory upon the whole kingdom, within ono month the
they could not give effect to the law. To meet this diffi- cattle plague would be at an end. These were, first, the
culty, it was now proposed to give power to two magis- destruction of all stock infected; secondly, the isolation of
trates to sign a notice to the clerk for convening general all animals suspected of being infected; and, thirdly, the
sessions, and that two days after such notice the sessions absolute and immediate stoppage for one month of the
should be held, and that session should have power to per- passage of all beasts from one part of the country to an-
form all the duties imposed on the local authorities in coun- other.
ties, by virtue of the present act. It was also proposed that After a few remarks from the Lord Advocate, Mr. B.
the local authorities should have power to appoint com- Stanhope, Lord Burghley, and Colonel Barttelot,
mittees to give effect to these provisions. These committees Sir G. GREY, in reply, said one of the questions that
were to assist the magistrates, and to give effect to the re- had been put to him was, who were the local authorities
gulations they had made. It was suggested that there should who were to take charge of the act ? The local authorities
be associated with the magistrates other persons—such as were the quarter or general sessions of each county. It
tenant farmers, who might co-operate with them. (Hear, had been said that there was a want of unanimity in the
hear.) The Lord Advocate would prepare a clause on regulations made by the justices, and to a certain extent
this subject as regarded Scotland, and they also thought it that was true ; but it had been pointed out to the chair-
desirable to give power for combined action between the men of quarter sessions in October that it would be advis-
different local authorities. That principle was recognised able for them to ascertain the opinion of the county for
to some extent already, and they proposed to give the par- the purpos of obtaining as much uniformity as possible.
ties in question the power of combining for this purpose, He (Sir G. Grey) had also been asked for information iu
and that the joint committee should have jurisdiction over regard to the proposal that committees should be formed.
the combined district they represented. He now came to I The proposal was that the sessions should have the power
one of the most important and one of the most difficult of appointing an executive committee, associating with
subjects connected with the matter, namely, the fund which them a number of persons qualified, as the sessions should
was to be raised for compensation for animals slaughtered determine, but possessing the essential qualification that
by the local authorities, and for paying the expenses of the they should be rated occupiers of the district in which they
county in dealing with the subject. On this point they were to act. The hon. and gallant baronet the member for
had not been very much assisted by the expressions of Berkshire (Sir C. Russell), remarked that he (Sir G. Grey)
opinion en the part of those bodies who had given them I had asserted that an absolute prohibition had been en-
some really valuable and important information with re- forced in no county. lie (Sir G. Grey) did not think he
gard to the principle on which they ought to legislate, and had quite gone to that extent. The hon. and gallant
it was but natural that they should not commit themselves I member for Berkshire stated that in the county ho repro-
to any specific proposal. The deputation which he had re- sented an absolute prohibition had been enforced, but he
ceived from the conference held last week in St. James Hall, (Sir G. Grey) believed that so strict a prohibition had not
and representing 44 counties in England and Scotland, dis- been adopted in any other county. And shortly of ter the
tinctly said they had no opinion on the subject, but left it absolute prohibition was adopted in Berkshire the quarter
to the consideration of the Government and the wisdom of sessions mot by adjournment and qualified that order by
Parliament. But the Royal Agricultural Society, in their certain exceptions which they found absolutely essential.
4th resolution, distinctly pointed to the county rate as the (Hear, hear.) They made exceptions for the purpose of
source from whence this fund should be derived. The breeding, and exceptionsin the case of cattle removedfrom
Scotch Chamber of Agriculture suggested that a portion of one farm to another.
the fund should come from local sources, and a portion Sir C. RUSSELL —That was because the disease had
from the public funds. (Hear, hear.) The objections to been stamped out of the county.
going on the consolidated fund appeared to him to be con- Sir G. GREY continual—Tire hon. and gallant baronet
elusive. Corning, then, to the local fund, they had the had said that great facilities might be afforded for substi-
opinion of the Royal Agricultural Society that the county tuting a dead meat market for a live meat market, and he
rate should be the fund. The Scotch Chamber of Agricul- 1 (Sir G. Grey) admitted that it was most desirable that that
turn and the Highland Society were in favour of dividing change should be made ; but it would take a long time to
the burden, and they had the proposal from Scotland that enforce it all over the country. He did not think it would
the rate should be levied on the lands and hereditaments, be possible to do it in a week or a month. There had been
which was, in fact, similar to a county rate, and that it some misunderstanding, too, as to what ho had said with
should be divided between the owners and occupiers. The regard to cattle from Ireland. 'What he meant to say
proposal made by the hon. member for Lincoln the other was, that cattle coming from Ireland were to
night the Government thought was perfectly sound. It be subject to the same restrictions as other cattle coming
was not the losses occasioned by the slaughter of those to the country. It had been said again by the hon member.
animals, but the expense of carrying those provisions into for Northamptonshire that they must have absolute, un-
effect which were necessary for checking the disease which conditional, immediate prohibition throughout the whole
ought to be borne to a certain extent by the whole corn- of Great Britain, but after making this large assertion he
munity, because the whole community were interested in began to make exceptions, observing with regard to the
chocking the disease, though there ought to be a special counties in Wales which were quite free from disease, that
burden borne by those on whom the losses primarily and it would be unreasonable to subject them to the same
immediately fell. (Hear.) The Government principle was, regulations. (Hear, hear.) Bethought they might trust to
that in the counties the county rate should furnish part of ' the intelligence, the good sense, and the right feeling of
the funds, and in boroughs the borough rate or borough the magistrates to whom the execution of the act would be
funds should furnish its proportion, and that the proportion committed as to the exceptions to be made. It was im-
in which the burden should fall upon these twofunds should possible to lay down rules that would be applicable to the
be, as far as possible, two-thirds of the whole, leaving one- whole country, for what would suit one country might be
third to be borne by the cattle owners. (Hear, hear.) unsuited to another, and it was better to leave a discre-
They had proposed clauses to carry out this suggestion. tionary power with the local authorities. With regard to
What we propose with respect to a cattle rate is this, that what his hon. friend the member for the Tower Hamlets
it shall be imposed on all cattle above one year old, that had said, he might be allowed to remark that that district,
it should not exceed in any one year ss. a-head for six for the purposes of this act, was comprised in the area
cattle, that it may be levied at intervals of six months, and known as the Metropolitan Board of Works district, which
that power should be given to the local authorities, when was different to that comprised in the Metropolitan Police
the rate exceeded a certain amount, to borrow money on district.
the security of the rate, either from private sources, or, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL obtained leave to intro-
through the Commissioners of Public Works, from the duce a bill to amend the law relating to the granting of
Treasury, repayable by instalments extending over a period pensions to persons holding certain offices connected with
not exceeding seven years. With respect to the cattle rate the administration of justice.
we think the provision should be made to prevent its fall- Mr. CHILDERS also obtained leave to bring in a bill
ing too heavily on those who may have already suffered enabling the Public Works Loan Commissioners to make
by the plague, and that it should also fall not too heavily advances towards the erection of dwellings for the labour-
upon occupiers of farms. He had now gone through the ing classes in populous places.
main provisions of the bill, which, ho hoped, would receive Mr. HUNT obtained leave to bring in a bill to chock the
the sanction of the house. There were several clauses in spread of the cattle plague in Great Britain.
the bill relating to Scotland ; but as he was not so con- Lord PROBY, the Comptroller of her Majesty's House-
versant with the law and practice of Scotland as he was hold, brought up the reply of the Queen to the Address of
with the law and practice of England, he had left these the Commons in answer to the Speech from the Throne.
clauses to be explained at a future stage by his right hon. The house adjourned at five minutes to 12 o'clock.
and learned friend the Lord Advocate. He had been in

frequent communication with the Irish Government on the

subject, and though the disease, happily, had not existed
. _ _

A COMPLIMENT OF THE STREETS STREETY.--In
the neighbourhood of the Strand, George-street, Villiers-
street, Duke-street, 01-alley and Buckingham-street —were
selected to commemorate the style and title of George
Villiers, Duke of Buckingham.

in Ireland, he thought it right that a bill should be pro_
pared for Ireland also, and his right honourable friends the

Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General for Ireland

were engaged in preparing a bill for Ireland. (Hear, hear,)
With regard to the second reading of the bill, he was in the

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also Phillips, tea dealers, 8, King Wiltiam-street ; likewise
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hands of the house. (Hear, hear.) The Government were
desirous! that the bill should be read a second time at the

earliest possible moment, and with that view he should fix
the second reading for Wednesday. (Hear, hear.) If, after
seeing the bill, it should be thought that further time was
required, it would be impossible for the Government to
refuse it. (Hear, hear.) Their intention at present was to
proceed with the measure de dien in diem, as it was important
that the essential provisions of the bill should be passed at
the earliest possible period consistent with duo considera-
tion of so important a measure. (Cheers.)
In answer to Mr. BRIGHT, • Sir G. GREY said that the fund for compensation would
be locally raised and locally administered.
The house having gone into committee,
meMr. ntolf\rthile UHNomT oesbescerrevtaedrythtahtatithweahsacdlebearefnroemdutchaetesdtabtey-
the deputations which had waited upon him in the course
of the last few days, and that he was at last awake to the
magnitude of the evil with which the country was afflicted.
Still he was not satisfied with the stringency of the mea-
sure now proposed, and should therefore ask leave to place
the bill of which he had given notice upon the table
the same time ho should consider the proposal of the.
GoAt
-
venament impartially with the view of converting it into a
measure that would make it effective for the purpose con-
templated ; and if he found that it could not be improved
it would then be his duty to ask the house to reject it. He