§ MR. EVERETT (Suffolk, Woodbridge)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether he has seen the accounts in the newspapers of the horrible cruelty said to be inflicted on cattle in Liverpool in the course of their unloading, and whether he will institute inquiries about it and stop it if true?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT,) OldhamIn the unavoidable absence of my right hon. Friend he has asked me to give the following answer to this question:— "I have seen the reports to which my hon. Friend refers, and I took advantage of an interview which recently took place between the Chairman and other principal officers of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board and myself to call their attention to the subject. I was informed that the reports in question were full of exaggeration; that the Docks Board had taken steps to refute them; and that the local officers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals would certainly have instituted proceedings against the offenders if the facts were as described. I need scarcely say that if I can in any way assist those officers to see that the cattle are humanely treated I will gladly do so."