§ MR. DENTsaid, he would beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the Government have decided upon the compensation to be paid to persons whose cattle were slaughtered by Orders of the Privy Council or the local authorities, previous to the passing of the Cattle Diseases Act; and from what funds such compensation is to be paid?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, the Question, although of no great extent, is of very great difficulty, and Her Majesty's Government, occupied as they have been with other matters, have not been enabled to determine in what manner they ought to frame any such proposal they may find it their duty to submit to Parliament.
SIR JOHN PARINGTONsaid, he wished to ask a question in explanation of the answer just given by the right hon. Gentleman as regarded retrospective compensation; whether the House were to understand that it was the intention of the Government to give compensation in such cases?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERI have nothing to add or to take away from what we declared in the discussion on the original Cattle Diseases Bill. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Sir George Grey) then declared that it was the intention of Government to look to the question with a view, if possible, of framing some proposal on the point.