266 NORTH OF ENGLAND VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
England Veterinary Medical Association. First, there is the Con- 
tagious Diseases (Animals) Act of 1869, which, as you are all 
aware, came into operation on the 10th of August last ; and that 
Act, if properly carried out, would very speedily reduce to a mini- 
mum, if it did not entirely exterminate, these contagious and infec- 
tious diseases which have destroyed so much of our valuable cattle 
during the past years ; but there is one radical defect in the Act, 
and that is the constitution of the local authorities in counties, viz. 
the magistrates in Quarter Sessions assembled, as the manner in 
which the law is carried out in different counties abundantly testi- 
fies. Take the County of Durham as an example ; there, in the 
first instance, the veterinary surgeons were appointed inspectors, 
but in consequence of a resolution passed at an adjourned meeting 
of Quarter Sessions held at Durham on the 6th of November last, 
they (the veterinary surgeons) were dismissed, and police constables 
appinted in their stead ; that was no doubt a direct violation 'of the 
meaning of the Act, and I have only to refer you to article 24 in 
the book prepared by the Veterinary Department of the Privy 
Council for the use of Inspectors, to prove that neither Government 
nor the framers of the Act ever contemplated the possibility of the 
police acting as cattle inspectors. Said article states that “the 
names, addresses, and districts of all such inspectors are to be 
forthwith forwarded to the Privy Council (and it is advisable that 
such should also be furnished to all police constables of the district), 
in order that they may give the inspectors notice of disease as 
required in article 10 of the general order.” However, the magis- 
trates think otherwise. Here is the fact, that the police have 
superseded the veterinary surgeons in the County of Durham. 
Now, can anything be done to remedy this? That is a question 
that I think ought to be discussed by the members present. We 
did think of sending a memorial to the Privy Council, but I am 
afraid that would be productive of little good ; but I think we 
ought to do all we can to get the Chambers of Agriculture and 
Farmers’ Clubs, &c., to take the matter up and use their influence 
with the local authority, and insist on a change ; and further, let 
each veterinary surgeon see the Member of Parliament in his dis- 
trict, and try to get a clause inserted in the Act, making it binding 
on the local authority to appoint veterinary surgeons as inspectors. 
And I would ask the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary 
Surgeons to use their influence and put the matter into the hands 
of the Parliament Committee. As I do not look upon it as a mere 
local grievance, but one that affects the whole veterinary profession, 
therefore, with your permission, I would ask Mr. Hunting to lay 
the facts of the case before the Committee at its next meeting. 
The inspectors for the County of Durham have another complaint 
against the magistrates, but as that is strictly local and referring to 
the subject of remuneration, they must endeavour to help them- 
selves. 
Before leaving this subject, I would earnestly impress upon every 
member of this Society the necessity of investigating the nature of 
