§ CAPTAIN BAGOT (Westmoreland, Kendal)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that Mr. Henry Bain, of the Dundee Cattle Wharf, has been making inquiries in the Dundee, Perth, Forfar, and Fife districts with regard to the Canadian cattle landed by the steamers 1036 Monkseaton and Hurona, last autumn, and has discovered that a large number of cattle slaughtered as having been imported on those vessels were not proved to have been, in fact, so imported; and whether there is any reason to suppose that some of the cattle so slaughtered were Irish or home-bred beasts substituted for some of tho imported cattle?
§ MR. GARDNERI have seen various newspaper reports with regard to the statements alleged to have been made to Mr. Bain, and have made some inquiry respecting them. The conclusion at which I have arrived is that the work of tracing and identifying the cattle landed by the steamers Monkseaton and Hurona was successfully accomplished, and there is certainly no reason to suppose that any of the cattle slaughtered were either Irish or home-bred. I may add that anyone who knowingly represented that cattle formed part of either of these cargoes, which had not, in fact, done so, and obtained compensation for their slaughter by reason of such representation, would be guilty of an offence for which he would be liable to two months' imprisonment; and if any evidence is forthcoming as to the existence of any such malpractice, which I can scarcely believe is the case, it would be my duty to consider whether proceedings should not be instituted against the offender. I have received the following telegram from Messrs. Macdonald, Fraser, and Co., the Scotch salesmen, who superintended the slaughter of the cattle:—
We think it right to inform you that the reports appearing in the newspapers as to part of the Monkseaton and Hurona cattle not having been slaughtered are untrue, or at least grossly exaggerated. We can give our oath that the 700 cattle we superintended the killing of had all the Monkseatonand Hurona shippers' brand or mark.—MACDONALD, FRASER, and Co., Salesmen.