§ MR. COGANasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether the Resolution which it has been stated the Lord President has arrived at of requiring a more stringent inspection of animals 298 imported into this Country from Ireland has arisen from the prevalence of any cattle disease in that part of the United Kingdom; if so, can he state in what part of Ireland such disease prevails, and the nature of and the number of cases that have been reported for each of the last four weeks; and, if there be no such prevalence of disease, on what grounds has it been deemed necessary to impose new restrictions on the importation of Irish cattle?
§ VISCOUNT SANDONSir, the proposed inspection of animals landed from Ireland has not been decided upon on account of any fresh outbreak of cattle disease in that country. It is not proposed to impose now restrictions on the importation of Irish cattle, but merely to ascertain that the regulations at present in force are effectually carried out. The Lord President is only acting in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee of the House of Commons, 1873, which reported as follows on this subject:—
That the Orders of Council relating to the transit of animals both as regards disinfection and the prevention of cruelty and suffering appear to be well adapted for these purposes, but your Committee are of opinion that such orders cannot be satisfactorily carried out without inspection from time to time by the officers of the central authority of vessels engaged in the Irish and coasting as well as in the foreign trade.