518 
PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. 
Colonel Corbett , in seconding the amendment, said he could endorse two 
statements made by his hon. friend. The first was that a veterinary sur- 
geon ought to be at the head of this department of the Privy Council, and 
the next was that the foot-and-mouth disease ought not to 'have been 
included in the Act. The question of cattle plague contagion was one of 
equal importance to the consumer and producer. He believed that the 
losses sustained by the diseases of imported cattle were ascertained, it would 
be found that the price of meat had been raised in consequence Id. per lb. 
to the consumer. He knew that as a breeder of cattle he would rather 
sell at 2d. per lb. less than receive the present high prices. It was the 
exceedingly small stock of cattle in the country which kept up the prices, 
and nothing but getting rid of the disease would bring down the price of 
meat to its normal state. Foreign cattle should be killed at waterside 
markets, and store cattle should be kept out altogether. As to the twelve 
hours’ quarantine it was of no use at all. He could confirm what his hon. 
friend had said as to the cattle in Wales being free from the disease. If 
no disease were imported he believed our cattle would be entirely free from 
the disease. 
Mr. Jacob Bright was not concerned in defending the Veterinary Depart- 
ment of the Privy Council, but desired to say a few words upon the subject 
of the importation of cattle, which ought not to be attended with the re- 
strictions at present placed upon it. Many deputations from large towns 
had waited upon the right hon. gentleman with reference to this subject, 
and to a certain extent the statement of the right hon. gentleman that these 
deputations were promoted by the butchers was true. But that circum- 
stance only p roved that, in the opinion of the butchers, the restrictions 
upon the importation of cattle very much diminished the number of cattle 
for slaughter, and therefore injured their business. What they wanted was 
to have more meat to sell, and to his mind it was a very significant fact that 
the butchers were the men to take up this question. That they would be 
more and more supported by the public at large he felt convinced would be 
the case in consequence of the high price of meat. If the department felt 
themselves unable to grant the terms asked, the next thing that these large 
towns would ask for would be to have free trade permitted with every non- 
infected country, subject to the best inspection which could be supplied by 
the Government. The tendency of meat to rise in price went to show that 
the people of the country grew faster than the cattle, and if that were so 
the question of these restrictions would have to be discussed hand in hand 
with the Game Laws, for if we were to have great restrictions placed upon 
the importation of cattle we ought to reduce our game preserving, and so 
increase our power of breeding and feeding cattle at home. He hoped 
the Vice-President wonld bear in mind that there was throughout the 
country a demand for greater liberty of importation. Coming from Cheshire, 
he knew the great burden that had been cast on town populations in con- 
sequence of the cattle plague, and while these people were as anxious as 
the hon. member for Norfolk to prevent the spread of disease, they also de- 
sired to obtain that animal food which was to them a necessary of life. If 
restrictions were carried too far, the result would be that at some time they 
would be wholly abolished. 
Mr. Beach could understand that the inhabitants of towns were anxious 
for the removal of restrictions on the importation of cattle, because they 
believed that that step would enable them to obtain their meat at cheaper 
terms. But it should be remembered that the present price of meat was 
not entirely owing to the restrictions on the importation of animals, since 
of the present meat supply 91| per cent, was derived from home sources, 
per cent, was the flesh of animals that were imported alive, and the 
