SPECIAL INIEETING. 13 



this disease ; that we are only liable to it as it may be 

 brought to us by cattle who have been exposed to it in 

 Chicago ; that the disease is not now in Massachusetts, and 

 that the action which we take here is simply in co-operation 

 with the action which has been taken in other States, with a 

 view to securing national aid in managin«: this difficult 

 subject. 



Mr. Cheever. I should not quite assent to the idea 

 that we have no direct interest in this matter. I think we 

 have a direct interest. The point, as I see it, is this : Un- 

 less Congress passes a law by which the national government 

 can go to work in this matter, it will be necessary for Massa- 

 chusetts to do just what some thirteen other States have 

 done, — put up their barrier, and say that no cattle from 

 outside shall come in, on any condition whatever, from any 

 section where this disease exists. It is in New York, it is 

 in Maryland, it is in Pennsylvania, it is probably in Wash- 

 ington ; and it has been in New York for thirty years, sim- 

 ply because the cattle trade is running towards New York 

 instead of cattle being sent out from New York to breed. 

 It is not spreading from there, but so long as the disease 

 exists in the United States our beeves in England are worth 

 dollars apiece less than they would be otherwise ; and it is 

 a matter that we are all personally interested in if we eat 

 beef or use any of the products of beef animals. Massa- 

 chusetts has a direct interest, and Massachusetts is allowing 

 the unrestricted transportation of cattle from anywhere, 

 practically, across her territory, and may get the disease 

 here any day. 



Dr. Lynde. I thank you for the explanation. I under- 

 stand the subject clearly now. I do not oppose the resolu- 

 tions, by any means ; I am in favor of them ; but I certainly 

 did not have so clear an idea of what was intended to be 

 accomplished by the resolutions as I have now, since Mr. 

 Cheever has made his last remarks. I hope the resolutions 

 will prevail. 



The Chairman. There are three questions before us. 

 These resolutions propose that the Secretary of this Board 

 shall communicate the opinion of the Board of Agriculture 

 to the President of the United States, and request him to 



