No. 4.] CATTLE COMMISSIONERS. 495 



the sense of justice of the General Court. As I have already 

 intimated, no officer and no creditor of the Commonwealth stands 

 upon a better title. With the exception of the Governor :in<l the 

 justices of the supreme judicial court, no oflicer of the Common- 

 wealth, however elected or appointed, can receive the compen- 

 sation fixed by law for his office until the amount h:is been 

 appropriated by the Legislature. Nor can any person having a 

 claim against the Commonwealth, however just, enforce its pay- 

 ment otherwise than by the grace of the General Court. 



The failure of the Legislature to make appropriation for your 

 work does not require you to abdicate your offices nor to give up 

 the performance of your duties, excepting in the cases where 

 liability in behalf of the Commonwealth may be incurred. On the 

 contrary, it is the duty of your commission to continue to hold 

 their olfices, and to perform the duties thereof, so far as may be, 

 with the expectation that at some future time the Legislature will 

 authorize payment therefor. If you are not willing to continue in 

 ollice under these conditions, it is your duty to resign. 

 Yours very truly, 



Hose a M. Knowlton, Attorney-General. 



On receipt of this reply a meeting of the Board was held, 

 when it was decided to keep up the quarantine on out-of- 

 State cattle, and, as instructed by the Attorney-General, to 

 continue the work of the Board except in so far as it related 

 to the condemnation of animals affected with bovine tuber- 

 culosis. 



During the remainder of the year, notwithstanding the 

 instructions that had been sent out by the commissioners, 83 

 animals have been placed in quarantine by the inspectors as 

 being tuberculous ; in every case these animals have been 

 immediately released. The commissioners have also knowl- 

 edge of a number of animals that have been kept in confine- 

 ment by their owners, in the expectation that compensation 

 would be granted another year. 



During 1897 an effort was made to impress on the owners 

 of cattle the necessity for thorough disinfection and cleanli- 

 ness in the barns ; and, believing in the importance of this 

 measure, the following circular letter was drawn up for dis- 

 tribution, and sent to persons who had received compensa- 

 tion from the State : — 



