, 1884-04-26

True Inwardness of the BIZ.

true lnWarQneSS OF the Bill.
BY cable to the Chicago iuter-Ocean.
LONDON, April 23.-The British cabi.
net had q long and stormy session this
afternoon at fhe official residence of Mr..
Gladstone in Downing street. The meet
ing lasted four hours, and the subjects
discussed We're the Governments defeat
on the cattle bill by the rejection of
Chancellor DobsOn motion to n|on-concur
in the Lords amendment yesterday. The
cattle bill o~yershadowed III Importance in
the ministerial minds both the other sub
iects put together, and most Of the ses-
sion was devoted to a rather doleful debate
on that measure. 1t cannot be concealed
that the Government feels sore over yes
terday > defeat, as it not only involves an
immediate loss of prestige, but threatens
no little trouble and unpopularty in future
if the bill should in IT'S present form be-
come a law and prove burdensome by
increasing the price of meat. AS the
will either have to stultify it.
self by quietly strangling It's measures
in the House of Commons after its pas
sage by the House bof Lords, or it must
tolerate the passage of the bill, including
the Duke of Richmond obnoxious
amendment prohibiting the importation of
cattle from all suspected countries. The
ministry has got itself into this unhappy
dilemma by Il silly stteinpt-to carry. wa
ter on both shoulders. There can be no
doubt about the existence of the foot and
mouth disease among the cattle in Eng
land. The impoverished landlords at
tempted to make political capital out Of
this state of affairs. and increase their
profits from heidine by seeking legisla-
ton against the importation of american
cattle. upon the representation that the
malady came from america. The got-'
nme knew very well that the repre-
sentation was false, but fearing TO legis-
late against cheap meat and at the same
time fearing to ignore the demands of
the British cattle raiser IL attempted
the trick of introducing a
bill prohibiting the importation
of live cattle from infected countries,
but lodging the power of designating the
countries with the Privy Council. The
intention beneath this subterftge was to
placate the landlords by apparently legis-
lating in their interest and at the same
time serve the cause of cheap meat by
controlling the decisions of the Privy
Council in favor of the continued impor-
tation Of American cattle. But the landed
interests in the House OF Lords saw the
trick. and forced the Government to a
square issue by amending the bill so the
Privy Council would have left no discre-
ton, but be compelled u, exclude the i'm
portation Of cattle IRON any country
where foot and mouth disease existed,
which would. of course, include the
United States. The Government fought
this amendment and lost. Not daring to
risk a vote then ON the whole bill as
amended, the debate was adjourned for
Cabinet action. As usual, the Cabinet
has determined upon halfway measures.
owing to the impossibility of wholly re-
conciling the wide divergence iof views
on the part of the various members.
The understanding arrived at was, that
no effort should besmade to prevent the
passage of the bill by the House of Com
mons, but that the Government should
endenVnr ia nhtaiu the Insertion nfa