HL Deb 13 May 1884 vol 288 cc148-9

Moved, "That the Bill (by leave of the House) be withdrawn,"—(The Duke of Richmond and Gordon.)

LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL)

said, that he was bound to say that the Government were distinctly of opinion that the alterations made by the Commons in the Government Bill had enlarged the discretion of the Privy Council, and that was the view upon which they were prepared to act.

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON

said, he took an entirely different view of the Amendments made to that of the noble Lord opposite (the Lord President), and he quite agreed with the Amendments, and that they made the Bill more stringent than when it went down to the Commons. He did not agree with the assertion of the noble Lord that no disease had come into the country within the last six months; because he thought it had been satisfactorily proved that the disease of the animals found in Cambridgeshire was traced to Liverpool, and that they had come from Canada.

LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL)

said, he had not the smallest reason for thinking that the disease came from Canada. There was really no evidence, and, so far as they knew, Canada was absolutely free from disease. As to the form in which the Bill had come back, he might say that the Government would not have supported the Amendments, if they had taken the same view of them as the noble Duke appeared to do.

LORD HARLECH

asked the noble Lord if he was able to state where the disease came from?

LORD CARLINGFORD (LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL)

was understood to say that there was no doubt those animals caught the disease in this country.

LORD DENMAN

said, he was of opinion that the Amendment to which their Lordships had just previously agreed was a very useful improvement of the Bill.

Motion agreed to.

Bill (by leave of the House) withdrawn.