498 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



value," which should be paid for by the State. This act 

 was entitled, "An Act for the extirpation of the disease 

 known as Contagious Pleuro-Pneumonia in Cattle." The 

 Governor appointed the Commissioners, and they commenced 

 their work ; but soon reported to His Excellency that the 

 disease had already covered such an extent of territory, and 

 was spreading so rapidly, by the exchange and movement of 

 cattle, that it was beyond their control, and suggesting an 

 increase of their powers, and assistance by increasing the 

 number of Commissioners, and the required co-operation of 

 the municipal authorities. Between the time of the appoint- 

 ment of this Commission and the above-named report, the 

 Legislature had adjourned ; but the emergency was so great, 

 that a special session was called, and, June 12th, an act 

 was passed, making it the duty of the mayor and aldermen 

 of cities, and the selectmen of towns, to take cognizance of 

 all cases of contagious pleuro-pnoumonia in cattle, gave 

 them very large powers for the purpose of its suppression, 

 required them to notify the Commissioners within twenty- 

 four hours after they had knowledge of the existence of a 

 case of the disease, if there was such a Board at the time, 

 directed them to cause the slaughtered animals to be appraised 

 in " their then condition," provided for payment of the dam- 

 age, one-fifth by the town in which the animal was killed, 

 and four-fifths by the State. Another act of the same date 

 was passed, authorizing the Governor to increase the exist- 

 ing Commission to five persons, to appoint a scientific 

 commission to investigate the special characteristics of the 

 disease; and provided, that when the Commissioners were 

 notified of its presence in any place, they should supersede 

 the municipal authorities, and possess all the powers con- 

 ferred upon those ofiicers. An act passed April 25, 1862, 

 provided that there should be an inspection of the cattle 

 slaughtered, and such carcasses as were found to be healthy 

 should be sold for beef, and the avails used to pay the ap- 

 praisal of those animals. In administering these laws in 

 1860, as was clearly understood to be their intent and pur- 

 pose, 710 healthy, but exposed, animals were killed and 

 paid for, and 160 diseased were killed, and no compensation 

 made. In 1862 one hundred and fifty-four were killed, of 



