28 CATTLE DISEASES 



and to have acted without instructions from the Council. 

 Mr. Henry Chaplin, M.P., was elected as Chairman of the 

 Committee. It collected nearly 1000 for a fighting fund 

 and organised a series of meetings in all the large centres of 

 population in order to call the attention of the public to the 

 matter, and to show consumers that the prevention of con- 

 tagious disease among cattle (even if no live stock were allowed 

 to enter the kingdom) would not increase the price of meat. 



As the Government failed to promise immediate action 

 or legislation, Mr. Chaplin gave notice of an amendment to 

 the Address. At the same time the Duke of Richmond intro- 

 duced a Bill in the House of Lords drafted on the lines desired 

 by the Chambers. Yielding to the feeling thus exhibited, 

 the Lord President of the Council agreed to introduce a Govern- 

 ment Bill with a similar object, so Mr. Chaplin withdrew his 

 amendment to the Address and substituted for it an amend- 

 ment expressing satisfaction at this action of the Government, 

 but demanding precedence for the Bill as soon as it reached 

 the House of Commons. The Prime Minister declined to 

 accede to the demand for precedence, so a division was taken, 

 but was defeated by a majority of 51. The Government 

 measure was introduced in the Lords, but proved very unsatis- 

 factory, as well as being of a temporary character ; it was, 

 however, amended before it left the Upper House, and at 

 their March meeting the Council expressed their satisfaction 

 that measures were at last before Parliament for preventing 

 the introduction of Foot and Mouth Disease from abroad. 

 They further resolved against permitting any relaxation of 

 the Government Bill from the amended form in which it then 

 stood ; they indicated details in which even greater stringency 

 might be given to the prohibitory clauses of the measure, 

 and expressed apprehension that considerable danger might 

 attend the permissive introduction of animals coming from 

 healthy parts of scheduled countries without slaughter at 

 the port of landing. 



An attempt was made by the Government in the House of 

 Commons to restore their measure to its original unsatis- 

 factory form prior to its amendment in the Upper House. 



