70 The Lung Plague of Cattle 



tine of such cattle, and in sucli cases collectors will 

 permit the proper officers to quarantine them in such 

 manner as the State or municipal authorities require." 

 This unfortunate exception allows the State or munici- 

 pality to interfere so as to make the law a dead letter. 

 There is nothing in this order to hinder the Aldermen oi 

 Brooklyn, or Baltimore, from authorizing the importation 

 of European cattle, subject to one or eight days quaran- 

 tine, and thus maintaining a permanent centre of infec- 

 tion in Long Island or Maryland. To protect the nation 

 this law must be national and subject to no exception. 

 If Section 2,493 of the Revised Statutes does not give the 

 power to make it so. Congress should enact a law which 

 shall be imperative for every port, all State and munici- 

 pal rights to the contrary, notwithstanding. The coun- 

 try has too much at stake in this matter to sacrifice it to 

 an idea. 



(c) Restrictions on Cattle from Neighboring States having 

 an Lvntfflcient Quarantine or none. 



If we exclude cattle, etc., from an infected country it 

 follows, of necessity, that we must apply the same rule to 

 any country that has an unrestricted trade with infected 

 districts, or a trade the restrictions of which afford no 

 sufficient protection against the introduction of the dis- 

 ease. This affects the United States in two ways : first, 

 it will apply to importations made from Canada and 

 Mexico, and second, it will apply to the cattle traffic be- 

 tween the Federal States themselves. 



This matter was strongly urged on the Treasury De- 

 partment, and July 11th the following order was issued : 



"Teeabuey Depaetment, 

 "Washington, D. C, July 11th, 1879. 

 " To the Collector of Customs, Chicago, III. : 



" The instructions of this department of February 27th, 

 1879, prohibit absolutely, under the authority of Section 

 2,403 of the Revised Statutes, the importation of neat cat- 



