GTJEBNSEY CATTLE. 229 



2. That it be forbidden henceforth to import from France, 

 without special permission of the Court, any bull or bulls, under 

 a penalty of confiscation, and a fine of 201. sterling for each 

 animal imported or otherwise got into possession. 



3. That from and after the passing of this decree all cows, 

 heifers, and calves imported into the island direct or indirect 

 shall be killed within four months after their arrival, and 

 foreign calves born in the island killed within eight weeks after 

 their birth, all under penalty of confiscation of the said animals, 

 and a fine not exceeding 201. sterling. 



4. That in the exportation of cows, heifers, calves, and bulls, 

 a declaration shall be made on oath by the proprietor or other 

 person possessing the knowledge that the animals are not only 

 of the island, but that they have not mixed with foreign cattle 

 in any way. 



By the published ordinances or Acts of the Eoyal Court of 

 the island we learn that from time to time the aforesaid decrees 

 have been repeated with stronger and yet stronger force, as, for 

 instance, in 1823, lest by chance permission of the Court for the 

 importation of foreign cattle might at any time have been 

 unduly or too readily granted, it is ordained that henceforth the 

 said permission be valid only when sanctioned by the president 

 and at least seven of the magistrates ; also that foreign cows 

 be not kept alive for more than the allotted four months, even 

 though they be in calf, under the penalty aforesaid, to be im- 

 posed on the person who imported them, or in his default the 

 master of the ship that brought them, or in his default the 

 person who had them in his possession. 



Frequent attempts have been made at different periods to 

 contravene these laws, but in every instance they have been 

 detected and checked. To the credit of the native inhabitants, 

 however, be it said that such attempts have never been made 

 by them, even though at times some pecuniary advantages 

 might have been gained thereby. The attempted contraven- 

 tions have always been made by those from other parts who 

 had made Guernsey for the time being their place of residence. 



On one occasion it was very plausibly pleaded that certain 

 heifers which had been, and were still being, imported into 

 Guernsey from France were by no means fit to kill in the four 



