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cattle, and still in a resigned attitude of mind — rosy only with good-natured 

 sadness, not with boiling temper. But. it is enough to enrage any class, except 

 that of tenant farmers, to take one glance at other countries saved by adminis- 

 trative vigor, and then to look at our own condition. Here ai-e a few of the 

 figures relative to Great Britian : 



Week ending — No. of attacks. 



October U 1, 054 



October 21 1, 729 



October 28 1, 873 



November 4 1, 765 



November 11 2,580 



November 18 2, 669 



November 25 3,610 



Week ending — No. of attacks. 



December 2 .* . . 3, 828 



December 9 5, 356 



December 16 6, 054 



December 23 6, 256 



December 30 7, 693 



January 6 9,120 



January 13 9, 243 



" The weekly increase latterly has been at the rate of about one-fifth. Sup- 

 posing that this rate of progress continues, what will be the number of attacks 

 in half a year's time ? It is the old calculation over again of a farthing for the 

 first nail of a horse's shoe, two farthings for the second nail, four farthings for 

 the third, eight farthings for the fourth, and so on till you are surprised at the 

 amount for the last nail of the fourth shoe. Adding one-fifth every week, we 

 get some 40,000 attacks for the first week in March, 97,000 for the first week 

 in Apiil, 202,000 for the first week in May, 500,000 for the first week in June, 

 over a million for the first week in July, by which time the total of cases would 

 amount to no less than six millions. Half the head of cattle in the kingdom 

 would, at this rate, be attacked by the first week in June, We do not say 

 that this disease will spread regularly with this rapidity ; we only say that it 

 is actually extending with this speed now, and has been during the last few 

 weeks. If anybody chooses to take it for granted that the totals will presently 

 be found to fiill oft", and the disease gradually grow weaker in its murderous 

 course, we are equally at liberty to expect that the mortality will increase," 



These complaints are stated not less justly than indignantly. An English- 

 man must keenly feel the inefficient care exercised by his government, when he 

 can make such a contrast between the action of his own free government and 

 that of the despotism of the French government. He must sorely feel its neg- 

 ligence when he can say, "it is about time to give up theories of government; 

 to expect nothing wise, nothing virtuous, nothing progressive from statesmen." 



May this country escape the diseases so greatly threatening it, that our own 

 people may have no occasion for like reflections ! As to measures for their protec- 

 tion against the introduction of the cholera and rinderpest, our legislative action 

 is almost nothing of itself. The Emperor of France promptly sent a commis- 

 sion into England to examine the cattle plague, embodying a scientific and prac- 

 tical knowledge capable of determining the nature of the disease. Their report 

 presented it in the same light as given in the September number of the Monthly 

 Report — as an incurable and most infectious disease, and the best measure that 

 could be adopted was the most prompt and vigorous to prevent its introduction 

 into France. The Emperor at once acted in conformity with the recommenda- 

 tions of the commission. The authorities of Great Britain listened to the state- 

 ments and perversions of facts by those interested in the foreign cattle trade. 

 These maintained that the cattle plague was not imported, but originated in the 

 foul dairies of London. And so, halting between two opinions, and issuing 



