30 CATTLE DISEASES 



complete justification is shown for the policy which the Cattle 

 Diseases Committee had consistently advocated. 



1886. 



Earl Spencer, on behalf of the Government, introduced a 

 Bill to amend the Act of 1878 in several ways which experience 

 had shown to be desirable. It also transferred to the Local 

 Government Board and to local sanitary authorities the powers 

 relating to the inspection of dairies, cowsheds, and milkshops, 

 previously conferred on the Privy Council. It further gave 

 power to the Privy Council to require local authorities to 

 slaughter, not only animals affected with Pleuro -Pneumonia, 

 but also all in-contact animals or any others exposed in any 

 way to infection. The Chamber adopted a Report from its 

 Committee, approving generally of the Bill, but objecting 

 to compensation for slaughtered animals being paid out of 

 rates instead of out of Imperial Taxes ; they also urged more 

 uniformity in the regulations necessary for suppressing out- 

 breaks of disease. No further reference was made to the 

 Bill during the year, so apparently there was no very strong 

 feeling on the matter in the Chamber ; the Bill was passed, 

 however, before the Government resigned in July. 



1887. 



At their December meeting the Council expressed regret 

 that the Privy Council had not made use of the power con- 

 ferred upon them which enabled them to require local authori- 

 ties to slaughter in cases of Pleuro -Pneumonia, and again urged 

 the Department to adopt uniform and stringent measures 

 to stamp out this disease. The Council pointed out that 

 unless the Irish Privy Council adopted similar methods any 

 efforts on this side of the Channel must fail ; they therefore 

 asked the Government to secure effective and simultaneous 

 action in both Great Britain and Ireland. A deputation 

 waited upon the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to 

 present these resolutions, and the requests were ultimately 

 acceded to by both Privy Councils. A Departmental Com- 

 mittee, on which Mr. Bowen- Jones (afterwards Sir J. B. 



