228 
The Outbreak of Cattle-Plague. 
colonies. Therefore, we should look to means for our own 
protection. 
Mr. Ridley, M.P., in supporting the amendment, stated that 
he had come to his present opinion with considerable hesitation, 
as he was aware of the practical difficulties which surrounded 
the question. The Council of the Society were not legislators, 
and they must leave the Government to deal with the difficulties 
of the question. He hoped that the Council would be practically 
unanimous in the expression of their opinion that day, and that 
they would state their belief that prohibition of importation 
of live stock was the only means of preventing the importation 
of diseases of cattle. It might be desirable to make prohibition 
the rule, and to make exceptions with regard to certain coun- 
tries, throwing upon them the onus frohan&i of their freedom 
from diseases ; but he trusted that the Government would no 
longer let Continental countries assume that our ports were 
open to their stock. The slaughter at the port of landing of 
cattle, sheep, and swine, from Continental countries, had been 
proved insufficient to keep foreign diseases out of the country, 
and nobody had put this fact more powerfully before them 
than Professor Brown himself. He (Mr. Ridley) was more 
sanguine than some members of the Council that the cattle- 
plague would be restricted to its present dimensions, but the 
inconvenience and loss to which local authorities and farmers 
had already been put were enormous. In many counties local 
authorities had found it their duty to prohibit the movement 
of all animals in their districts, and the farmers had in con- 
sequence lost a great deal of money. The question therefore 
arose, Are they to be put to this loss and inconvenience because 
we hesitate to stop the importation of live stock from foreign 
countries ? Such a measure would not interfere with the dead- 
meat trade. No doubt there are practical objections and diffi- 
culties, but he felt that the Council would fail in their duty if 
they did not pass Mr. Wilson's Amendment. 
Mr. Bowen JONES said that all members of the Council have 
obviously the same object in view, and the only question was, 
the best means for its attainment. Their ultimate object, no 
doubt, was the establishment of a dead-meat trade, and he was 
willing to withdraw his first two Resolutions in favour of the 
Amendment. 
After a few words from Mr. Wells, expressing his reluctance 
to prohibit the importation of store stock, 
Mr. Wilson's Resolution was put to the vote and carried 
unanimously. 
The third Resolution of Mr. Bovven Jones was also carried 
unanimously, viz. : — 
