§ MR. ARTHUR ARNOLDasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether his attention has been called to the fact that £44,999 were paid last year by local authorities as compensation for animals slaughtered; that, in the opinion of the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council, this addition to the cost of meat "might be easily prevented by a proper system of investigation," inasmuch as that department has reported that "a large number of animals are slaughtered every year on account of disease from which they are entirely free;" whether, with regard to the 63 sheep reported to have been infected with foot and mouth disease, in a total of 66,722 sheep imported last year from the United States of America, he can state what was the number of cargoes of which these 63 sheep, or any of them, formed part; and, whether, having regard to the very serious decline in the importation of sheep from the United states from 119,350 in 1879 to 66,722 in 1880, in consequence of the Order in Council of 23rd November 1879, and to the impossibility of this disease being latent in a cargo arriving healthy after a voyage from America, he is prepared to advise the Lords of the Council to reconsider the terms of that Order?
§ MR. MUNDELLAMy attention has been drawn to the amount, £44,999 1s.3d., paid last year by local authorities on account of animals slaughtered under the Act of 1879. The amount in the previous year was £65,049 18s. 6d. It is the opinion of the Veterinary Depart- 1657 ment that the saving would have been greater if a careful inquiry was instituted by the local authority in the case of every outbreak, and if in all cases of slaughter a post-mortem examination was required. The 63 sheep referred to formed part of eight cargoes. The subject of relaxing the Order as to American sheep, &c., has been carefully considered by the Privy Council, and the difficulties in the way of doing this with safety have been found to be insuperable. Sheep are brought in the same vessel with cattle and swine, and it might well happen that the sheep might remain uninfected until on the point of being landed, and only develop the disease after they had been allowed to go inland. If, on the other hand, they should develop the disease in a landing place for foreign animals, although it is true that the whole cargo would be slaughtered, it is equally certain that the animals which have been landed there from other countries whose animals are not subject to slaughter would be exposed to the infection, in which case they would also have to be slaughtered instead of being allowed to go inland as they are entitled to do. Under these circumstances, we regret that we cannot advise any relaxation of the terms of the Order which applies to the United States.