§ MR. READsaid, he would beg to ask the Vice President of the Council, If, in conformity with the spirit of his statement that Her Majesty's Government, "having resolved upon the slaughter of all Foreign Cattle at the ports of landing, intended to revoke the Harwich and Southampton Orders," the permission to land Foreign Cattle at Thames Haven for the Metropolitan Market will be continued; and, to state the circumstances of the outbreak of the disease at Barking, the number of Cattle slaughtered, and what other precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUsaid, when leave had been given to import cattle from Harwich and Southampton into London, it was necessary to pass special Orders of Council to grant that permission. Those Orders, in consequence of the decision of the House, would be almost immediately revoked. No such Order had been required for Thames Haven as it is in the Port of London; but, as it is between thirty and forty miles from London, it was the opinion of Her Majesty's Government that the wishes of the House of Commons would not be carried out in spirit if foreign cattle were to be moved thence to the metropolis; and as the Bill of this year gave power to the Privy Council to define a part of a port for landing cattle, it was intended to exclude Thames Haven from the port of London. With regard to the outbreak in Essex, information was received on the 9th of August that the disease had made its appearance on the farm of the Sewage Utilization Company at Barking. Nine animals were killed at once. On the following day an inspector went down and ordered 102 more beasts to be slaughtered, four of which were suffering from the disease, and the remaining ninety-eight of which had been in contact with them. [Mr. READ: May I ask if they have been slaughtered?] I believe they have not yet been killed. The local authorities, who had to carry out the orders, have been remiss. They are anxious to wait, I believe, till the first market day.
MAJOR JERVISwished to know whether foreign cattle would still be allowed to be sent all over the metropolis for 1610 slaughter, or confined to the part or parts of the port of London where disembarked, and whether, as no foreign cattle were to be allowed to proceed inland alive, the present stringent regulations with reference to the importation of cattle from South Holland might not be modified with a view of cheapening so necessary an article of food for the working classes?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUreplied that both these subjects had been taken into consideration. It was certainly most advisable, as the hon. and gallant Member observed, to do almost anything, rather than allow foreign cattle to walk through the streets; it would also be their endeavour to relax the restrictions on the foreign trade as far as possible. But he was not in a position to give a definite answer to the hon. and gallant Gentleman's inquiries as to the measures which would eventually be adopted.