§ MR. GILESasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether the transhipment of American cattle has been permitted from the Victoria Docks to Deptford; and, if so, whether the same privilege will be also granted to the Port of Southampton, so that the large Transatlantic steamers calling at Southampton may not be excluded from the trade of bringing over cattle from the Dept-ford Market?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONIt is quite true that a transhipment of cattle has, in certain instances, been allowed from the Victoria Docks to Deptford; but there is no similarity between the circumstances under which this leave was temporarily given, and those existing at Southampton, for which my hon. Friend also claims the privilege of transshipping American cattle to Deptford. Previous to the recent Order in Council, a number of American cattle were landed in very large Transatlantic steamers on the north side of the Thames; subsequent to the Order it became necessary for these ships to land their cargoes at the foreign animals market at Deptford. The size and draft of these vessels rendered this very difficult; and it being not considered expedient to establish a foreign animals market north of the Thames, leave was given for the shipment of cattle under certain precautions, and the supervision of the Customs officers across the Thames. Southampton has no foreign cattle market, 448 and cattle would be shipped not from one to another part of the same port, but from one port to another port—namely, from Southampton to London.