THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCHasked the noble Duke the President of the Council, Whether the time had not arrived when 1705 the restrictive orders against the removal of sheep in Scotland could be modified or rescinded? The question was one of very great importance. He believed that sheep in the South of Scotland were in as healthy a state as they ever were known to be, and that the mortality among those animals was below the average. On the morrow the first great sheep sale would take place, and it would be followed by many more in August, September, and October, at which hundreds of thousands of sheep would come into the market. Unless the restrictions on removal were discontinued very great inconvenience would be experienced.
THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAMsaid, the question had been under consideration for the last three weeks, and the Government had hoped that the cattle disease in Scotland would have completely ceased ere this, and that all restrictions against removals could have been taken off. But, unfortunately, during the month of July some fresh cases had broken out in Perthshire, and the last information received made it quite impossible to pass any order absolutely abolishing all restrictions. He was happy to say, however, that from information which had been received at the Privy Council Office it would appear there had been no fresh case for the last eight or nine days; and he therefore hoped that before very long the whole country might be declared free from disease, and sheep might be allowed to pass freely from one part of Scotland to another. He might observe, that at present removals could take place on licenses from the local authorities.
§ House adjourned at Six o'clock, to Thursday next, half past Ten o'clock.