874 
MISCELLANEA. 
MAGISTERIAL DISCUSSION RELATIVE TO THE EMPLOY- 
MENT OE THE POLICE AS CATTLE-INSPECTORS. 
At the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the County of 
Monmouth, which has just been held at the Town-hall, Usk; S. R. 
Bosanquet, Esq. (Chairman), presiding, the following discussion 
took place relative to the employment of the police as inspectors 
under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act. 
Mr. A. JD. Berrington called the attention of the Hoard to the 
serious expense the county was incurring in the matter of the 
Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act. This quarter certainly the 
bills were reduced to £250, which was at the rate of £1000 a year, 
and they remembered that last year the expense was at the rate of 
.£2000 a year. At that time there appeared to be a difficulty in 
imposing duties upon the police with respect to the disease. In 
Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, and other counties, the matter had 
been entrusted to the police, but a letter had been received from the 
Home Office stating that the county police were not to be employed 
in any other duties except those relating to their police duties. 
The difficulty now appeared to be removed. The Clerk of the Peace 
had the copy of a letter which had been addressed to the Home 
Office by the Clerk of the Peace for the County of Oxford in which 
it is now stated that there was no objection whatever to the county 
police being employed under the Act, provided the Chief Constable is 
of opinion that it does not prejudicially affect their other duties. 
The Clerk of the Peace read the letter. 
The Chairman said that there was another difficulty not mentioned 
by Mr. Berrington. The Treasury pay a quarter of the cost of the 
police, and they might reasonably object to their employment in this 
manner, as it would increase their number and so increase the 
quarterly payments to them. 
Mr. Berrington begged to move that the matter be referred to 
the Executive Committee, and that they be requested to take the 
whole matter into their consideration at an early date, and endeavour 
to make arrangements for the transfer of the management of the 
Act to the police if they think it desirable. It would save the 
county a f d. rate if it could be done. 
The Chairman : The police must have the power of calling in 
veterinary surgeons. 
Mr. Berrington : That would be a matter for the executive to 
arrange. 
Mr. John James : You must bear in mind that application is 
made for additional duties upon the police at the very time that you 
receives application from many parts of the county for an increase 
of police. 
The Chairman : I think there can be no objection to refer it to 
