PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. 
521 
and this country was a most important one. Still, lie did not think they 
were justified in restricting the Dutch trade in cattle on account of Holland 
being in the same position as this country with regard to pleuro-pneumonia ; 
while the regulations in force did practically prevent pleuro-pneumonia 
being introduced by Dutch animals. Then, on the other hand, he was urged 
by his hon. friend the member for Manchester to let in the German cattle 
for the benefit of the large towns, as we did the Dutch, under certain regu- 
lations. But it would be exceedingly difficult to draw a cordon round those 
large towns to give the same security as existed in London. Nevertheless, 
he thought the representations made by the deputation to which his hon. 
friend had alluded deserved the most careful consideration of the Govern- 
ment, and he acknowledged he had postponed a final decision on that sub- 
ject, expecting the arrival of Lord De Grey within two or three days, when 
he should be glad to have his counsel and assistance in the matter. In the 
meantime he was glad to find that the representations of his hon. friend ap- 
peared to have found favour with the hon. member for Norfolk. (Mr. 
Bead. — “No, no. 5 ’) At all events, the hon. gentleman did not seem to 
think that any great danger would result from the adoption of the sugges- 
tion. Now, with reference to. home diseases, the hon. gentleman seemed to 
think that all their efforts to cheek them had been useless. But there had 
not yet been time fully to test the value of their regulations. He did not 
think that in a couple of years they could gain statistics that could be of 
very much value with regard to such a difficult matter as the spread of dis- 
ease among the cattle of this country. It had taken some weeks or months 
before the local authorities could thoroughly work the Act. In some places 
there had been a strenuous endeavour to carry it out ; in others there had 
been apathy and opposition. So far as they could get any information, it 
was very much in favour of the working of the Act. There had been in 
twenty-six weeks ending March 6th, 1870, 775 outbreaks of pleuro-pneu- 
monia, and in the corresponding weeks of 1871 the outbreaks were only 
514. Of the 47 divisions in England and Wales there were 16 in which, 
during six months of 1869-70, the outbreaks had been 603, and in the cor- 
responding period of 1870-1 the outbreaks were only 379. In 15 others 
there was a diminution, and a considerable diminution. There was only one 
county in which there had been an increase — from 104 to 112 — and that was 
the county of Norfolk, where there had been more opposition to the'carrying 
out of the Act than in any other county. In fact, it was not till November, 
1869, that any inspector had been appointed there. Nine were then ap- 
pointed for the county, and two for the boroughs. Suffolk had forty-two 
inspectors, selected from the police ; the decrease of the disease there had 
been greater than in Norfolk, and the expense of working had been less — 
£253, as compared with £841, the cost of working Norfolk. It was found 
that inspectors taken from the police, assisted by one or two veterinary 
officers, answered better than a large staff of veterinary inspectors. The 
case of Mr. Odams had been referred to, but Mr. Odams perfectly well un- 
derstood that he set up his market as a temporary affair, and that the occa- 
sion for it would cease at any moment. He did not think any case had been 
made out against the department ; the regulations now seemed to meet with 
general approval, and 30 out of the 47 counties had adopted more stringent 
regulations than the Act required. 
Mr. Bentinck was remarking upon the fact that the thin attendance of 
the House showed what little interest members took in a matter which so 
nearly concerned their constituents, when 
An Hon. Member noticed that there were not forty members present. 
The Speaker counted, and finding there were only twenty-one, declared 
the House adjourned at 20 minutes to 11 o’clock. — Times. 
