MR. ALDERMAN W. LAWRENCEasked the Vice President of the Council of Education, Whether his attention has been directed to a statement made at a meeting of the Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market Association on Tuesday last, That, in their opinion, the Order in Council of March 10th prohibiting the importation of fresh meat from France and Belgium is a measure of unnecessary precaution which is calculated to interfere injuriously with the supply of animal food to this country, and to materially enhance its price more especially to the poorer classes of the community?
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, in reply, that he had seen the statement in the newspapers to which the hon. Gentleman referred; but he could not help thinking it was very exaggerated, and calculated to create unreasonable alarm. It was based on the supposition that the importation of all fresh meat had been prohibited by the recent Order in Council; but the directions given applied merely to beef and veal. He did not know whether it was thought to be an "unnecessary precaution" to limit the supply of meat in that way; but it was the opinion of the Privy Council, after careful consideration, that it was absolutely necessary to take that precaution with regard to the carcases of cattle. The cattle plague was still raging in France, and seemed to defy all the efforts which were being made there to put a stop to it. He was, however, convinced that there was no ground for apprehension that the price of meat in England would in consequence be raised. The number of cattle arriving from France and Belgium was very small; and while he was of opinion that it was absolutely necessary to take the precaution in question, he was glad to think that its result would not be at present to interfere with the price of food. There was no reason for supposing that more meat would come this year than last year, when only 136 cwt came from France to London, and 12 cwt from Belgium. The regulation was obliged also to be applied to fresh, though not to salt, hides.