§ Report from the Select Committee, made, and to be printed (No. 121): Bill reported, with Amendments, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on 1369 Tuesday next; and to be printed as amended. (No. 122.)
LORD WALSINGHAMasked the noble Duke the President of the Council, Whether the statement made yesterday in the Common Council of London with respect to a fresh outbreak of the cattle plague in the metropolis was correct; and if that were so, whether the question was under the consideration of the Government of the slaughtering of foreign cattle at the ports of debarkation without exception. He believed the inconvenience of such a course would not equal the inconvenience arising from a general outbreak of the cattle disease?
§ THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGHsaid, it was quite correct that there had been some fresh cases of cattle plague in the metropolis. The number of cases which were reported for the week ending the 25th of May, was eighty-two. They were, however, confined to comparatively narrow localities in the neighbourhood of Islington. The promptest measures had been taken in conjunction with the Metropolitan Board of Works to counteract the spread of the disease. He might state that he immediately requested Sir John Thwaites, the Chairman of the Board of Works, to wait upon him, and in the course of a conversation with that gentleman, he impressed upon him the necessity of the Board taking immediate and active steps to enforce the powers conferred by law upon local authorities to stamp out the disease. He had since received a very satisfactory communication from Sir John Thwaites, stating that every power which the law conferred upon the Board would be put in force. Those powers had accordingly been put in force, and not only had every diseased animal been slaughtered, but others that had been in contact with them, though not themselves actually infected, were also killed to prevent the spread of the disease. He was glad to say that, owing to these decisive measures, not above two cases had been reported in the present week, as compared with eighty-two cases in the week previous—a result which, he believed, might be attributed solely to the excellent arrangements and vigorous action of the Metropolitan Board. With regard to the other matter to which his noble Friend had alluded, the slaughtering of all the cattle at the ports of their arrival, the question was already under consideration. It was one, however, which 1370 involved grave interests, and which could not be decided without due consideration. He trusted, however, that the measures already adopted might prove successful in arresting the disease, and that it would not be necessary to resort to such an extreme remedy. Should, however, the necessity be found to exist, the question was one which the Government would deal with without shrinking.
EARL GREYwas understood to urge the importance of promptitude in all these measures, and strongly advocated the policy of slaughtering all foreign cattle at the ports of arrival, instead of allowing those intended for London consumption to pass through the metropolis, spreading the disease during the journey. It was well known that the disease had originated and had been frequently re-introduced by the importation of foreign cattle.
§ LORD PORTMANremarked that the question was not merely one of slaughtering cattle at certain fixed and appointed places. In the hot weather it was oftentimes a question whether the meat under such circumstances could be preserved, and whether a good deal of it would not, on reaching Loudon, be condemned as being unfit for food. The matter was one, therefore, which ought not to be dealt with hastily. The disease could not be brought into London unless the police regulations were neglected or evaded.
§ THE DUKE OF CLEVELANDsaid, he could fully corroborate the opinion expressed by the noble Earl (Earl Grey), and that a general feeling now existed that vigorous measures—such as that of slaughtering foreign cattle at their ports of arrival, should be adopted to prevent the recurrence of these serious visitations.
§ LORD REDESDALEbelieved it would be of great advantage if the Inspectors, in making their weekly Returns, stated not only the number of beasts infected and the result, but also the supposed cause of the disease. It would be easy enough to do this; and then the inhabitants of the neighbouring country or district would be able to take measures to prevent the same causes producing results so calamitous—a thing which they could not do under the present arrangements.