§ MR. ARTHUR ARNOLDasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Whether his attention has been called to a letter in the "Times" of the 18th ultimo, from Mr. Sanders, Special Commissioner from the Department of Agriculture, Washington, stating that for two years not a case of foot and mouth disease has been brought to the attention of the United States' Cattle Commission, except in two instances of freshly imported consignments from. Great Britain; also to a letter in the "Times" of the 30th ultimo from Mr. Carman, Acting Commissioner for the United States' Department of Agriculture, declaring that "there is not a case of pleuro-pneumonia known to exist west of the sea-beard States, and never has been;" and, whether Her Majesty's Government, seeing the freedom from cattle disease which obtains in parts of the United States remote from English importation, will consider by what modification of the Orders in Council or of time Law the people of this Country might enjoy the advantage of greater freedom of importation from these uninfected territories?
§ MR. DODSONMy attention has been called to the two letters referred to. As regards that of Mr. Sanders, it is, nevertheless, a fact that at the beginning of this year we received several cargoes from the United States containing cases of foot-and-mouth disease; but I am glad to say, as I stated the other day, that during a period of now nearly four months, we have not received a single case of that disease from that country. As regards the other letter from Mr. Carman, it is admitted that pleuro-pneumonia exists in the Eastern States, and that there is no restriction on the movement of cattle within the United States, and, therefore, no guarantee against the introduction of disease from one State to another. The Agricultural Department at Washington insists very much on the danger which exists to the rest of the States in consequence of this condition of things. I may add, however, repeating what I said the other day, that under the Act of 1878 we have no power of exempting parts of countries from slaughter or quarantine. We, therefore, could not deal differently in this respect with the Western States from the manner in which we deal with the Eastern States. It would be necessary to have further legislation to do so.