The New York herald., 1879-03-08
IMPORTATION OF CATTLE.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRENCH ON THE CUES
TIoN OF PROHIBITING THE LANDING OF CAT
TIE IMPORTED FROM GREAT BRITAIN
pLEURo-pNEUMoNIA AND ITS EXISTENCE IN
ENGLAND CoNsIDERED-CoNTINUANcE OF THE
PROHIBITION ADVISED.
WASHINGTON. March z, 1879.
The following report from Mr.. H. F. French As
sistant Secretary Of the Treasury upon the subject
of the recent Treasury orders prohibiting the land
ing of cattle from England, read at the Cabinet
Council to-day, and upon consideration of tho facts
stated the Treasury order Of February 26, 1879, will
remain in force:-
To the SEcRETARY:- tt
The question presented is whether the order Of
this department of February 49, 1S9 prohibiting the
landing of cattle imported from Great Britain until
otherwise ordered should be rescinded modified
Said order was issued upon Information that the
disease known as pleuro-pneumonia, which III Eng
land Ia often called the cattle plague had appeared in
Hull and other parts Of England Hull is q port on
the northeastern coast OF England between which
and New York regular line OF steamers plies touch
ing at southampton. where cattle from the Channel
Islands taken board and brought to the United
States.
ORIGIN OF THE DISEASE.
The pleuro-pneumona, rs it was Familiarity known
in Massachusetts nearly twenty years ago. intro
duced from Holland by the importation Of Holstein
investigation of the disease at that time. and judge
from the facts recently made known that the
ais~'e this country and Great Britain is T Of the
Same type. 1t Is contagious disease. and
is supposed to be communicated not only
by actual contact Of sound cattle with those
diseased. but through infected fodder or
bedding or buildings. marked feature of the dis
is tina. it often incubates lies dormant from
thirty to fifty days. and more, after its seeds
are sown. and during this period Of incubation.
nary surgeon can detect its presence Cattle may
therefore, be purchased in England, shipped to this
Sfatp fbnnf fha
detecting the disease by any inspection Of the
animals.
MEASURES OF PREVENTION.
The States no doubt have full power by quaran-
tine or other regulations to protect themselves
against the spread Of this disease; Of them as
Massachusetts, and New York, have adopted meas
ures for this purpose. The necessary measures for
the inspection of this disease adopted In those
States and in England are:-The isolation of all
suspected herds and the slaughter and burial
of all animals found to be infected and
usually of all that have been exposed to
the infection. These measures with provision for
proper compensation to the of the cattle thus
slaughtered. now enforced in England and in the
Several States into which cattle imported 1t is un-
derstood. have no such regulations. or these
both OF importation and expectation OF live CATTLE
II Congress possesses the power to prevent tho In
PRODUCTION of the cattle disease by enforcing the
inspection and quarantine the destruction OF
pected animals II has thus far failed to such
power. The only provision on this subject to be
sections 240 494 and 2495 Of the Revised Statutes
Section 2.403 Revised Statutes provides that
The Importation of noa, cattle and the hidos Of
GSsed provided sSs sSe
sm or countries or any parts Of such country ."
ssaa,;os sAsnsssr ils sssro..r the Trs.sSry shall
such importation win tend the in.rodacsicn or
ie Of tho United sstos and hc Secretary Of the
hereby suthorsed and empowcrcd and Z shall be HIS
this law into effect &C.
By section 24o4 Of tho Revised Statutes. the Prcsi-
l,a.S kkA
above section whenever. In his Judgment, the import
alton of neat cattle and their hides may be made
without danger of introduction and spread of tho
contagious diseases, &C.
think is clear that section 2493 of the Revised
Statutes confers upon the Secretary of the Treasury
slaughter imported CATTLE The only power conferred
upon him is to suspend the operation OF tho
"that such importation will not tend to
the introduction or spread Of contagious or
infectious Diseases and TO make the necessary or
dcrs and regulations TO carry this law a. e., the law
to prevent the importation OF neat cattle. &c into
cmess anu 70 .s SUSPEND .S ene Same as provided Inc
2494 Of the Revised Statutes is to suspend the pro-
hibitory law whenever in his Judgment the importa-
tion may proceed without danger of the introduc-
ton of disease The only question, therefore, to bo
considered present Is whether the Secretary of the
Treasury or the President can determine that tho
statute prohibiting the importation OF neat CATTLE
&c. can be suspended without danger OF tho intro
duction OF the cattle disease.
ENGLAND
BY letter from j. ID. HARRISON secretary Of the
New York Agricultural Society. dated February H.
lS79 addressed 20 the Secretary OF tho Treasury at
tontion called to the fact that cattle of the Jer
sey island are at this time brought to tho United
States frequently. and in considerable numbers by
steamers sailing from the port OF Hull. and leset
shipment about to arrive and the Secretary
urged to take proper precautions against the i'm
portatiop OF diseasedor injected CATTLE Mr. Harrison
IL worthy representative of of the oldest aud
most efficient agricultural societies In this country
and society specially interested In the importation
and improvement OF neat cattle. At about the same
time statements had been unofhciay made in tho ]
papers and otherwise tending to show that pleuro-
pneumonia had broken out at various places in Eng
land We had Information also that the steamer
I.epanto about 10 arrive in New York from Eng
land, bringing herd oi Jersey cattle from South
ampton 10 be sold at auction in New York. In the
meantime. as will presently be more fully shown |
the peuro-pneumonia had appeared In various parts
the United States, especially near New York city,
The Dominion of Canada, ON February 6. 1ST9 had
published order of Council prohibiting tho Inn
portation Introduction into the Dominion of cat
tie from the United States for % period of three
months from that date. We had learned, also, that
two herds OF cattle. being from the United States
aud one from Canada, shipped from Portland, Me-,
~ the Ontario. had been found be diseased with