§ MR. MACARTNEY (Antrim, S.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the resolution of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, at their last meeting, urging the slaughter of all foreign cattle landing in the United Kingdom at the port of debarcation; and whether, in view of the fact that 41 eases of pleuro-pneumonia has been discovered amongst cattle imported 1385 from the United States since July last, and that the landing of two cargoes of infected Canadian cattle had led to the slaughter of 1,394 animals, and was instrumental in subjecting 79 different localities in Scotland to the danger of fresh infection, and necessitated the payment of £18,130 in compensation, he will introduce or support a measure to make such slaughter compulsory at the port of debarcation?
§ MR. GARDNERI have received the resolution to which the hon. Member refers. It will be my duty to explain the views of the Government on this subject when the Motion which the hon. Member has placed on the Paper is under discussion, and I am unable, in the meantime, to enter into any undertaking to the effect proposed in the question.