32 PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



reported that, pursuant to the instructious'froni the^last General Meeting, a deputation 

 from tlie Society waited upon Lord Henry Lennox, M.P., the First Commissioner of 

 WorIvS, at the House of Commons, for the purpose of presenting a memorial aud asking 

 for a Government grant to complete the unfinished survey of Scotland. (An extract 

 from the memorial is given in the report of the General Meeting, 16th June 1875, and 

 the answer will be found in the report of the Directors' Meeting, 3d November' 1875.) 



Foot-and-mouth Disease. — Captain Tod of Howdeu then read the following 

 memorial to Government on the subject of the foot-and-mouth disease : — " Unto the 

 Right Honourable the Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, the 

 Memorial of the Higldand and Agricultural Society of Scotland, incorporateil by royal 

 charter, in General Meeting assembled, showeth, That'your Memorialists, as represent- 

 ing the lauded proprietors and tenant-farmers of Scotland, liave for many years taken 

 an active lead in all veterinary matters connected with Scotland, aud have a dee]> 

 interest in whatever conduces to the preservation from disease of the farm live-stoclc of 

 the kingdom, and have closely watched the operation of existing legislation in regard 

 to foot-and mouth disease, the rajiidly-increasing losses by which they observe with 

 alarm. That your Memorialists have carefully considered the subject, and are of opinion 

 that the present existing laws have jarov-ed insufficient to eradicate the disease, or pre- 

 vent its spreading, and that there is a want of a proper system of organisation enforcing 

 uniformity of action, wlieveby the present diversity of practice among local authorities 

 in neighbouring towns and counties might be averted, and a more stringent, uniform, 

 and regular system enforced. That your Blemorialists are agreed, and fully believe, 

 from evidence and experience, that foot-and-mouth disease is largely introduced by tlie 

 importation of foreigu cattle, and they are of opinion that all imported .sheej) and cattle 

 should be either slaughtered at the ,'port of deliarkation or undergo sucli a jjeriod of 

 quarantine as to prove them liealtliy, aud thus prevent disease being spread by them. 

 That your Memorialists would further call attention to the luimber of outbrealis of thi.s 

 disease amongst cattle brought from Ireland to Scotland, and would humbly suggest that 

 a more complete inspection of steamboats carrying cattle and sheep be adopted, and a 

 thorough cleansing and disinfecting insisted on. Your Memorialists therefore humbly 

 pray your Lordships to take this most important subject into careful consideration, and 

 to issue such orders or take such measures as may be expedient for remedying and 

 extirpating this growing evil. — Signed in name and by authority of a General Meeting 

 of the Society, heldatEdinbiu-ghouthe IQtlidayof Januaiy 1S76. (Signed) Glasgow, 

 chairman." 



The Hon. G. Waldegeave Leslie said that as this was the last part of the proceed- 

 ings of the day, he hoped that the Directors would press this subject strongly on the 

 attention of the Government. 



Principal Williams suggested that in the memorial it should be stated that the 

 disease referred to was go1; wholly from abroatl. 



Mr Ferguson of Kinmundy said that in Aberdeenshire many cases of disease had 

 occurred in which there had been no communication with animals from abroad. 



Mr F. N. Menzies, Secretary, said that in framing the memorial hetliought it better 

 to treat these matters in gener-al terms. 



Mr Elliot, Laighwood, said that in Glasgow market, where the Irish animals were 

 put in day by day, they caught tlie disease. 



Mr Maxwell said he thouglit that active steps ought to be taken to have the groimd 

 cleaned into wliich the animals were brought. 



The memorial was then adopted. 



On the motion of the Hon. George Waldi:grave Leslie, a vote of thanks was. 

 given to the Earl of Glasgow for presiduig, aud the meeting separated. 



