§ MR. G. W. WOLFF (Belfast, E.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can state the reasons why the joint application of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners and the Canadian line of steamers trading to that port for permission to erect a foreign animals wharf at Belfast, under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act (for the importation and slaughtering of foreign cattle on arrival), has been refused; whether he is aware that the principal public bodies in Belfast have all approved of the proposed importation, and that from the isolated position of the proposed wharf no danger of importing disease need be anticipated; whether he is aware that, according to the published accounts of the Harbour Commissioners, dead meat equivalent to about 3,000 head of cattle was imported into Belfast last year, being an increase of 40 per cent. over the previous year; and, whether be will use his influence with the authorities at Dublin Castle to induce them to reconsider their decision, and so put Belfast on an equality with English and Scotch ports?
§ MR. GERALD BALFOURApplication to establish a foreign animals wharf at Belfast has been received from the Ulster Steamship Company and has received the support of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners and other public bodies in Belfast. The statement in the third paragraph is correct. The Irish Government are unable to concur in the allegation that no danger of importing disease need be anticipated in consequence of the isolated position of the proposed wharf. They have felt constrained to refuse the application, in the belief that the erection of such a wharf might involve serious risk, not only to the large and increasing cattle trade of Belfast, but to the whole of the 790 important export animal trade of Ireland, by the possible introduction of disease from foreign sources.