22 PROCEEDIA'GS AT GEXERAL MEETIXCxS. 



Agricultural Society's deputation waited upon the President of the Council in the end 

 of April, compel the Directors of the Society again to urge upon the Government the 

 necessity of no longer delaying to give effect to the recommendation of the Royal 

 Commission on Agriculture, 'that the landing of foreign animals should not be per- 

 mitted in future from any countries as to which the Privy Council are not satisfied 

 that they are perfectly free from contagious disease.' The past experience of the 

 working of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1878, as administered by the Privy 

 Council and local authorities, has proved it to be a complete failure in preventing the 

 introduction of disease from abroad, and the constant recun-ence of alarming and 

 \\idespread outbreaks of foot-and-moiith disease throughoixt the kingdom ; while, from 

 The want of uniformity in the restrictions enforced by the various local authorities 

 and the necessity which exists for their almost constant imposition, these restrictions 

 have become intolerable to the breeders and feeders of live stock, and are interfering 

 most prejudicially in the adequate supply of butcher meat and dairy produce to the 

 British public. " 



To this representation the following reply was received : — 



" Agricultural Department, Privy Council Office, 44 Parliament Street, 

 " Westminster, S. W., 12th December 1883. 



"Sir, — I have submitted to the Lords of the Council the resolution passed by your 

 Society on the 5th inst., transmitted in your letter of the 6th inst. 



" With reference to that part of the resolution which desires the Privy Council to 

 give effect to the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Agriculture, ' that the 

 landing of foreign animals should not be permitted in future from any countries as to 

 which the Pri\^' Coimcil are not satisfied that they are perfectly free from contagious 

 disease,' the Privy Council are advised that such a measure, by substituting prohibi- 

 tion for slaughter at the port of landing, which is prescribed by the Contagious Diseases 

 (Animals) Act, 1878, would be one of a legislative and not an administrative character. 

 I am also to point out that if the Privy Council had been able to act, and had acted 

 on the recommendation of the Royal Commission, the unfortunate prevalence of foot- 

 and-mouth disease throughout the autumn in so many parts of the country would 

 have remained entirely unaffected. Of this fact no reasonable doubt can be enter- 

 tained when it is considered that from the 1st of July last to the present date only 

 three cases have occurred in which animals affected with foot-and-mouth disease have 

 been landed in Great Britain, and in none of these cases is there any ground for sus- 

 pecting that the infection was not absolutely confined within the foreign animals' 

 wharf.— I am, &c., (Signed) " C. L. Peel. 



" The Secretary, Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland." 



This reply was laid before the Board on the 9th of January, when the following 

 resolution was adoj^ted :— " That the Directors have received with great disappointment 

 the above answer of the Lord President of the Council, as they feel strongly the absolute 

 necessitj'' of prohibiting the importation of live animals from all countries as to which 

 the Privy Council are not satisfied that they are free from disease. From the above 

 answer it appears that diseased consignments of animals have been received into this 

 country on three separate occasions since the 1st of July last, which the Board consider 

 sufficiently dangerous to make their request only reasonable." 



After reading the report, Mr Scott Dudgeon expressed regret on his own part, and 

 the regret and disappointment of the members of the Society and farmers generally, 

 that the representations which had been made by the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society and other societies that the strong feeling which had been expressed with such 

 unanimity throughout the country by the agricultural interests had hitherto been 

 ineffectual in moving the Government in the matter. There was no question that he 

 could remember of on which agriculturists of every political ojiinion were more 

 unanimous than this of cattle disease, and it was a strong evidence of the want of power 

 of the agricultural community in bringing anything aftecting their industry to bear 

 upon the Government of the country. The matter of cattle disease was one which 

 affected their industry to an enormous extent, and every one acquainted with the 

 workings of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act would know that the restrictions 

 which had been in force throughout the country had been a great source of loss — not 

 only of annoyance but of direct loss, and still more of indirect loss— to the agricultural 

 community. And he was sure no other industry in the country, even much less 

 important than that of agriculture, would have submitted to the annoyance and loss as 

 the farmers had done, and exhibited the patience they had exhibited. And he was 

 glad to say that there was evidence now throughout the country that the farmers were 

 feeling that this sort of thing would not do. He noticed during the recent weeks and 

 months of autumn that meetings had been held very generally throughout the south, 

 especially in England, and a very strong expression of opinion had been given at these 

 meetings. That he took as an evidence that the farmers would not submit to have 

 their interests ignored any longer as they had been in the past. All the experience of 

 the workings of the Cattle Diseases Act had gone to show — it was now an admitted 



