1848-49 COMMISSION ON SMITHFIELD MARKET 349 



the 'Times' of Tuesday, November 27, 1849, 'has, 

 been appointed to inquire into the live and dead 

 meat markets of London, and consists of seven 

 members.' Owen attended the first meeting at 

 the Home Office, on December 5, and shortly 

 afterwards an entry in the diary records of the 

 second meeting that it was of a most satisfactory 

 character, owing to some conclusive and sensible 

 evidence given by a noted West-end butcher : 

 ' This gentleman came prepared with a plan of 

 improvements in slaughter-houses, &c, which was 

 much the same as the committee were strug- 

 gling to bring about. Richard asked him (his 

 name, I think, was rather appropriate — Giblet) 

 if he was aware that his really excellent plan, which 

 Mr. Giblet was afraid might prove too Utopian to 

 be acted upon, existed and was maintained in most 

 Continental towns. R. made a great point of this, 

 so that the Lord Mayor, who was present, could 

 not plead ignorance of such a fact. There will be 

 a great deal of difficulty in altering the present 

 state of things in London — chiefly in respect to 

 the great sums of money required — but it must 

 come sooner or later.' 



* December 4. — Milne-Edwards and Dumas 

 fils here this evening. Young Dumas has a very 

 worn, old look, though he cannot be more than 

 twenty-five. He says he understands English, 

 but does not speak it.' 



' gtk. — We hear that there is a hippopotamus 

 waiting for the Gardens at Cairo. It must be an 



