§ MR. READsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Council, If there has been an outbreak of Cattle Plague in the neighbourhood of Antwerp, in consequence of which the Belgian authorities have prohibited the holding of local markets; and, whether cattle are permitted to be imported from Antwerp into Harwich, and sent up to the Metropolitan Market after performing a quarantine of only twelve hours?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGU, in reply, said, he had received intelligence from a private source of the outbreak of the Cattle Plague in the vicinity of Antwerp, but his information did not say whether the Belgian Government had prohibited the holding of local markets. At present it required the authority of the Queen in Council to prohibit the importation of cattle and goods from infected countries; 1106 but in order to obviate that delay in future, power had been taken in the Bill now before the House to enable the Council to issue such a prohibition.