§ MR. SAMUDAasked the Vice President of the Council, If it is a fact that by the present arrangements of the Privy Council, while Foreign Cattle from unscheduled Countries are (from opposition of the licensed wharf owners) practically prohibited from being landed at any wharves in London, and proceeding from thence to the purchasers' premises, the same Cattle are allowed to pass through the streets to the same premises if they are landed in the first instance at Harwich; if he will take into his consideration the desirability of putting all Ports on the same footing, by prohibiting absolutely all Cattle from Foreign unscheduled Countries being allowed to be moved into the Country at all without first performing effectual quarantine; and, if he will consent to place on the Table of the House the Correspondence which has lately passed between different parties and the Privy 1417 Council with reference to the licensing of Wharves in the Port of London for the landing of Cattle from unscheduled Countries.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, in reply, that healthy cattle from unscheduled countries landing at any other places than those set apart for the cattle of scheduled countries ceased to be deemed foreign cattle, and could then be moved in the Metropolis under the same regulations as home cattle. This provision applied to all the ports; but if there were any practical difference it might arise from the fact that the Customs had power in any port to fix the landing-places of unscheduled cattle. All ports were on the same footing, and the regulations of the Customs applied alike, except that in London there was a cordon which prevented the passage of cattle, whether home or foreign—a cordon which he hoped would be removed when we got the Metropolitan Market; and in London there were also certain police regulations with respect to the passage of cattle through the streets. He thought it would not be desirable to—
Put all Ports on the same footing, by prohibiting absolutely all Cattle from Foreign unscheduled Countries being allowed to be moved into the Country at all without first performing effectual quarantine.There would be no advantage in preventing the cattle imported from going into the country. As to Dutch cattle, he found that during the four weeks ending June 24, 1871, 10,849 cattle had been landed from the Netherlands at seven ports, of which 4,783 had been landed at Loudon, 2,824 at Harwich, and 2,823 at Hull. He had no objection to produce the Correspondence with reference to the licensing of wharves in the Port of London for the landing of cattle from unscheduled countries.