The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-03 00:00:00

CORN WALL.

The rinderpest continues to make sad havoc in
Cornwall, and there are now but few districts in
which this fearful disease has not made its appear-
ance.• Since last week's report in The Sun the total
loss in Truro and the immediate neighbourhood
has reached 330. In the town of Truro Mr. Farley
lost two, Mr. Brewer three, Mr. Benney one, and
Mrs. Simmons one. At Perranzabuloe, Mr. Tyzer
lost two, Mr. J. Richards two, Mr. Trewarren one,
and Mr. Strogman one. At St. Erne, Mr. Vercoe
killed two. At Trewogan, Mr. Hawke killed one.
At St. Allen, Mr. Keast lost two. At Carlyon, in
the parish of St. Minver, six more died belonging to
Messrs. Willis, making their total loss 18, and leav-
ing five bad. At St. Columb, Mr. Trebilcock lost
seven during the week, and his neighbour, Mr.
Kneebone, two ; nine more are infected. At Pad-
stow two deaths occurred, and in the neighbour-
hood of Helston there was a similar loss. At a
meeting of the West Penwith Cattle Plague Com-
mittee, Penzance, on Thursday last, it was reported
that in Lelant the infection had not spread beyond
three farms, on which about a dozen cattle were ill.
In the parish of Luclgvan matters were worse, Mr.
Mitchell, of Trewarrack, having lost eight, and Mr.
Trewella, of Polgrean, six; 17 being left in a very
bad condition. A resolution was passed by the
committee urging the Court of Quarter Sessions for
the county to exercise the powers given to them by
the last Order in Council. At the St. Austell petty
sessions on Thursday last a butcher named Lewis
was fined £lO in two cases for removing cattle into
a prohibited district, and three labourers employed
by farmers of whom the bullocks were purchased,
having assisted in driving the animals, were each
fined 20s. and expenses. At Probus on Friday a
largely-attended meeting of parishioners unani-
mously resolved that the owners of dogs be requested
keep them confined, and all persons finding dogs
straying about their premises were strongly recom-
mended to kill them. The parish of Madron being
threatened with the plague, a public meeting of the
parishioners was held on the same day to con-
sider the best measures to be adopted. Among
other things it was agreed to request the district
surveyor of highways to supply two men to dig
pits requisite for the proper burial of animals that
might die of the disease, the cost to be defrayed out
of a fund to be collected by a committee.

SHROPSHIRE (NORTH).
An important meeting of landowners and farmers,
with the Lord-Lieutenant (Lord Hill) in the chair,
was held at Whitchurch on Friday to take into con-
sideration a petition to Parliament for Government
compensation in cases where animals are slaughtered
by order of the inspector, and also for Govern-
ment assistance and security in cattle insurance so-
cieties. The notice convening the meeting also
stated that in 1745-6, when the murrain visited
this country before, compensation was made by the
Government, and the Order in Council then issued
was read (from the Gentleman's Magazine), showing
that the amount of compensation was 405., being
one-half the average value of the beast at that period.
The meeting was very large and influential, in-
cluding, besides the Lord-Lieutenant, Lord Com-
bermere, Admiral Cotton, Mr. J. R. Ormsby Gore,
M.P., Sir John Tyrrell, the Hon. E. Kenyon, Col.
F. Hill, Captain Clement Hill, Captain Cockyne
Cust (representing Lord Brownlow), Capt. Barker,
Mr. iiignett (representing Lord Cholmondeley), &c.
Letters expressing regret at non-attendance were
also read from Sir J. Hanmer, M.P., and Major the
Hon. C. H. Cust, M.P.
The noble Chairman briefly opened the proceed-
ings, and urged the importance of Government as-
sistance and compensation, and called upon
Mr. ORMSBY GORE, M.P., who moved the first
resolution, which was as follows :—" That peti-
tions be presented to the First Lord of the
Treasury, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
both Houses of Parliament, praying that the Go-
vernment take into their immediate consideration
the urgent and pressing claims of stock owners
whose herds have been destroyed by the plague for
such alleviation of their difficulties as Parliament in
its wisdom may think fit, and calling the attention
of Parliament to the precedent of 1745-6." In sup..
porting this, Mr. Ormsby Gore urged that if the
farmers were left to their own unaided exertions
their fate would be very lamentable. He thought if
Government gave half the value of the beast by
way of compensation in 1745, they ought at least
to do the same thing now. The farmers, by being
compelled to bury the animal, lost not only the
meat, but also the hide, the horns, and the offal.
Be concluded by referring to the subject of insu-
rance, and promising to pay 25 per cent. on the
calls of the Porkington tenantry.

Mr. 11. THURSFIELD SMITH seconded the resolu-
tion, and gave a long and interesting account of the
visits of the cattle plague to this country, beginning
as far back as the third century,—stating, among
other things, that the murrain invariably stayed in
the country from 12 to 15 years, and that it had
been conclusively proved always to have come from
the steppes of Russia, and that even pigeons and
rooks could convey the infection. The speaker also
called attention to the singular fact that the reme-
dies suggested in letters to the newspapers of the
present day were only the same remedies as had
been suggested by writers of previous days to the
Gentleman's Magazine, and further that the orders
issued by the Pope in the last century were similar
to those now issued by the Privy Council, except
that in the one case the penalty was £2O, and in the
other hanging.
Captain BARKER moved, and Captain GUST se-
conded, the seconded resolution, as follows :
"That the said petitioners alsO pray that the several
bcattlee sanctioned plague associations that have been established
and assisted by the Government in
discharging such claims as may be made upon them
by the insured, and which the funds of the said
associations may not extend to, thereby giving them
a national character."
Lord COUBERXERE, in proposing the third resolu-

tion—et That the county members be requested to
present the petitions "—expressed a hope that the
example set by North Shropshire would be followed
all through the country, so that a strong pressure
might be brought to bear upon Government.
Mr. T. H. SANDFORD, J.P., seconded the resolution.
The form of the petition was then read, and, on
the motion of the noble chairman, adopted.
The Hon. E. KENYON, in moving the next resolu-
tion, which solicited the co-operation of cattle plague
associations and agricultural societies in promoting
the objects of the meeting, referred to the great dis-
tress threatened to the poor through the ravages of
the plague, and to the calls which would thereby be
made on the charity of those who were more fortu-
nately circumstanced.

Mr. W. HASSELL seconded this, which, together
with the others, was carried unanimously.

STAFFORDSHIRE (NORTH).
The rinderpest continues its ravages along the
, northern borders of the county. Mr. Heler, Crad-
docks Moss, Audley, has lost 16 head of cattle, and
has 11 beasts down with the plague. During the
last week seven more animals have died of the dii-
ease on the farm of Mr. Hammond, Madeley, in ad-
dition to 20 deaths in the previous week. In the stock
of 33 head of cattle belonging to Mr. Tomkinson,
farmer, near Audley, 28 have died. Mr. Glover, far-
mer, Batterley, has had 19 cows attacked, and lost 12 of
them. Nearly the whole of the stock of cattle be-
longing to Mr. J. Blockley, Radwood, near Whit-
more, consisting of about 40 fine animals, has been
destroyed by the pest. Of eight cows on the farm
of Mr. Summerfield, at Wrine-hill, only one is
alive. Several fresh deaths are reported among the
cattle of Mr. Davenport, Maer-hall, and the plague
has also made its appearance, with some fatal re-
sults, among the stocks of Mr. J. Booth, Batterley;
Mr. Sindop, Bar-hill ; Mr. S. Harrison, Betley ;
and Mr. T. Salmon, Madeley-park, and is spread-
ing on the farm of Mr. Buckley, Wrine-hill. A
diseased beast was taken to the Stoke-on-Trent
cattle-market on Wednesday last by a cattle-dealer
living near Newcastle-under-Lyme, and placed in
a shed after the market with 17 healthy cows. The
state of the diseased animal was discovered by the
district Government inspector, and it was at once
destroyed and buried, and the 17 other beasts were
slaughtered and sold for meat. Mr. A. Broad; of
Bar-hill, has also lost two cows during the week,
and the same number have fallen victims to the
pest on the farm of Mr. Blackshaw, near Hanley.
At Ashley, Mr. R. Bourne has lost 17 beasts, and
the plague has now extended to Cheadle, where,
during the past fortnight, it has on the farm of Mr.
Godwin killed 17 cows and calves, while it has ap-
peared also at Weston and some of the adjoining
places. The great strides of the plague are causing
a good deal of uneasiness in this part of the county.