The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-18 00:00:00

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORELAND.

A large and influential county meeting of Cum-
berland and Westmoreland was held at Penrith on
Tuesday afternoon, having been convened by the
Lord Lieutenant of the two counties to consider and
adopt the best means of suppressing the cattle
plague ; Mr. Hassell, chairman of quarter sessions,
presided. Mr. Marshall, M.P., Mr. C. Howard,
M.P., Mr. W. N. Hodgson, M.P., and many ma-
gistrates were among those present.
The CHAIRMAN proposed a series of six resolutions.
Admiral ELIOTT, of Appleby Castle, moved the
following amendment to the resolutions proposed by
the Chairman :

" That this meeting, viewing with regret and
apprehension the fact that while all isolated
measures emanating from local authorities have
hitherto proved insufficient and ineffectual for
extinguishing or even retarding the progress
of the cattle plague, is of opinion that the time has
conic when it should be urged on the Government
to adopt a more bold and determined attitude by
enacting one single authoritative, absolute, and gene-
ral rule applicable to all Great Britain, prohibiting
the movement of any cattle, &c., in any way, and
on any pretext, off their own holdings, and, practi-
cally, to establish a dead meat market till April 1,
1866, as affording the only substantial hope of ex-
terminating the scourge, believing that this extreme
measure must eventually be resorted to, and that the
period from this date to the Ist of April (being pre-
vious to the grazing season) is obviously the one
which will be attended with least loss and incon-
venience in carrying out this restriction. That the
chairman is therefore requested, in the name of the
meeting, to communicate these views to the Secre-
tary of State with the earnest request that Govern-
ment may take immediate action in reference to
them."

Mr. W. 11. WAKEFIELD, of Puzett, Kendal, se-
conded the amendment, which was received with
great favour by the meeting.
The amendment was put and carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed the following reso-
lution :—" That whether the progress of the cattle
plague is to be arrested or not is a question affecting
the entire community. If not arrested, the ruin of
tenants will involve the ruin and destitution of farm
labourers, and will cramp and cripple the landlords
as employers of the poorer classes. Animal food will
advance in price until it is unattainable by the me-
chanic, the artisan, and the operative ; and, further,
the price of other food will be enhanced, and so dis-
tress will quickly be extended to all classes. This
meeting is, therefore, of opinion that a calamity so
truly and decidedly national should be met by na-
tional efforts, and that an Act ought to be passed as
soon as possible after the meeting of Parliament, di-
recting that all cattle infected with the plague and
in infected homesteads should be slaughtered simul-
taneously throughout Great Britain under proper
regulations, and allowing such compensation to the
owners under the circumstances of each case as Parlia-
ment may consider reasonable (or, as duly-qualified
persons appointed by Government may award), and
that the cost incurred in the carrying out of this
measure, and thoroughly disinfecting all infected
premises, should be met by the national funds, and
that if there should be no sufficient surplus at the'
end of the financial year, the cost should be defrayed
by increasing the income-tax as far as may be ne-
cessary for that purpose, the labouring and poor
classes being exempt from the tax."
Admiral ELIOTT proposed an amendment to the
effect that a fund should be raised by a subscription,
to include the whole of the inhabitants of the dis-
trict, for the purpose of prevention and partial in-
demnity against the cattle plague in Cumberland
and Westmoreland, and appointing a committee to
have infected beasts destroyed.
Several other amendments were proposed.
Mr. W. N. HoDGsoN, M.P., said he believed that
if a slight alterationwere made the resolution would
meet the general views of the meeting. He would
suggest whether their wishes were not more likely
to be carried into effect if, instead of pointing out
the mode in which compensation should be made,
they were to leave it to the wisdom of Parliament-
- (hear, hear)—to compensate in such manner as
they might think best, or to Government to point
out such means as they can recommend. A resolu-
tion of that sort would probably receive a speedy
response, but if they passed the resolution as it now
stood he was afraid there was no prospect of its being
carried into effect. It was no use asking for what
there was no chance of getting. It was no use asking
the commercial and manufacturing part of the com-
munity—both of which wore large and wealthy bodies
having great influence in Parliament— to tax
themselves for the relief of the agriculturists. If
they left the question open they might get compen-
sation through a county rate, the landlords paying
a certain proportion and the tenant-farmers the re-
maindef, or they might get it through an additional
penny of income-tax levied on schedules A and B ;
if they asked for it in the way proposed and pointed
out the mode in which it was to be given, he feared
there was no chance of getting it. Therefore, wishing