§ MR. PELLasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Whether a serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has recently occurred in Lincolnshire, where one out of forty beasts in farm premises near Louth showed symptoms of this disease on May 17th; whether thirteen out of these forty beasts were thereupon removed a mile away to grass in a park, and the disease reported to the local inspector on May 19th; whether this inspector, on May 20th, found sixteen out of the twenty-seven beasts remaining in the farm premises to be affected, as well as four out of the sixteen which had been moved to the park, and four more out of thirty-eight in a field adjoining the park; whether, 1470 up to May 23rd, the local authority had held no meeting, and done nothing towards the isolation of the disease; whether the chief inspector of the Agricultural Department of the Privy Council has been despatched to the spot and made his report; and, whether Her Majesty's Government are satisfied that the administration of the Law relating to contagious diseases in animals is such as to afford reasonable security against the spread of infection from the county of Lincoln into other counties; and, if not, what steps Her Majesty's Government intend taking to prevent this local outbreak spreading into other districts, and to preserve the live stock of the Kingdom from so serious a calamity?
§ MR. DODSONOn May 17, one out of 40 animals on Mr. Lister's farm showed symptoms of illness, and on the same day 13 of the animals were moved from the farm to Burwell Park—about a mile. The owner reported the case on Monday, the 19th. The local Inspector visited the premises on Tuesday, the 20th, and found 16 out of the 27 animals left in. the farm affected with foot-and-mouth disease, and four out of the 13 in the park. The declaration of the Inspector was confirmed on the same day, but nothing else was done as there was not a quorum of the local authority present, and a meeting was called for Friday, the 23rd. We received notice of the outbreak on the 21st, and Mr. Cope, the Chief Inspector of the Privy Council, was sent on the 22nd to see what was being done. He attended the meeting on the 23rd, and pointed out the serious consequences which might ensue from the negligence of the local authority, who at last, on his advice, adopted the necessary precautions. Mr. Cope at the same time telegraphed to the Privy Council the boundaries of an area to include all the infected places and the neighbouring farms, &c., and an area was declared on the 23rd, which it is hoped will prevent the spreading of the disease to other districts.