§ COLONEL WILSON PATTENasked the President of the Board of Trade, When he will be able to lay upon the table of the House information with respect to the number of cattle in the United Kingdom? He also wished to know whether the Government intended to call for those Returns periodically or not?
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONsaid, the Returns of the number of cattle in the different parishes of Great Britain would be made by the 5th of March next, by the occupiers of land and others. No time would be lost in making up the aggregate Returns, and it was expected that they might he laid on the table immediately after the Easter recess. Those Returns were voluntary; but from the favourable disposition that had been evinced by magistrates, Boards of Guardians, and other local authorities, to co-operate with the Board of Trade in procuring those Returns, they might not unreasonably hope that the desired information would be satisfactorily obtained. With regard to the second Question, he would state that as the present attempt to obtain information was experimental, and until they had the test of experience, he would be unable to answer the inquiry.
§ COLONEL STUARTasked, whether the whole of the cattle in the country would be included in the Returns?
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONreplied, that the endeavour was being made to procure Returns relating to all the cattle in the country.
§ In reply to an hon. MEMBER behind the Ministerial Benches,
§ MR. MILNER GIBSONsaid, he did not think it would be convenient to add another column to the schedule that was about to be sent to the farmers throughout the country in order that information might be procured as to the number of cattle in the country on the 1st of September. Whether it would be desirable to have a separate Return for that purpose he could not say without further consideration.