532 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



food. Anotlicr important fact was this : that by the operation of 

 the octroi duty the consumption of meat in Paris was correctly 

 ascertained. This, however, coukl not be done in London where 

 there were no similar means for arriving at such knowledge. The 

 information derived from this source in Paris showed that great 

 fluctuations were experienced in the rate of consumption of meat 

 in different years, which was to be traced probably to fluctuations in 

 the general trade of the country, and in the command which the 

 people possessed over the necessaries of life and matters of that 

 kind. But whatever might be the cause, there was no doubt that 

 the consumption of meat in the large towns of France was subject 

 to extreme variations. It appeared from the ' Journal of the Statistical 

 Society ' that the consumption in Paris during the year 1847 was 

 1501bs. of meat per head of the population, exclusive of game and 

 poultry; in 1848 it was 87f lbs. ; in 1849 it was 1461bs. ; and in 1850 

 it was ISSlbs. These figures exhibited a very considerable fluctuation 

 in the consumption of animal food ; but if the mass consumed were 

 taken, instead of the rate per head of the poj)ulation, the fluctuation 

 would appear to be still greater. 



Most members of Parliament, he presumed, had received a copy 

 of an interesting pamphlet relating to city improvements. By 

 the map which was appended to that pamjihlet, it would be seen 

 that the new arrangements for the proposed metrojiolitan dead- 

 meat market at Smithfield were as convenient as they could well 

 be made. There would still, however, be the blockading difficulty. 

 Nevertheless, it was so important to have a central market, that what- 

 ever the difficulties and drawbacks, they would be of much less 

 consequence than the evil attendant upon having several markets dis- 

 tributed over the town. On this jioint he sj)oke with great reserve 

 in the presence of Mr. Holland, who was at that time engaged in 

 conducting an important inquiry into this very subject, which would 

 doubtless conduce much to improvements. He ho^^ed, however, that 

 the parties would hurry on as fast as they could the comj)letion of the 

 metropolitan meat market ; and if they did not at present feel inclined 

 to do that, then he would recommend them to follow his example and 

 spend a night in Newgate Market, which he thought might act as 

 a spur to their languid energies, and prompt them to use a little more 

 expedition in the matter. In drawing these remarks to a close, he 

 would only further refer to the important recommendation contained 

 in the concluding portion of the third and last rej^ort of the Cattle 

 Plague Commissioners. From all he had observed, he was convinced 

 that that recommendation was j)erfectly right : it was one to which, 

 therefore, he gave his hearty concurrence. They said that now was 

 the time to carry out the changes which were required in the supply 

 of meat to large towns ; when great alterations might be made without 

 being attended by anticij^atcd inconveniences ; and it might be con- 

 sidered whether slaughterhouses should not be transferred from towns 

 to subm-ban points on lines of railway, to the ultimate benefit of both 

 customer and butcher. Then they ended by saying that the cattle- 



