PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. 
703 
of these cargoes came direct from Cronstadt—viz. those arriving at 
Deptford, Hull, and Leith. Three others came from Hamburg. 
In the first cargo the animals were Russian animals; in the last 
two cargoes, certainly in the Hartlepool cargo, there were no * 
Russian animals. The steps taken were these. The import from 
Russia was entirely prohibited. It was a most serious matter to 
prohibit entirely the German import, because the effect would be 
immensely to diminish the supply of meat in the country, but more 
especially in London ; and nothing but the most absolute necessity 
would justify it. In consequence, however, of its being clear that 
the cattle plague must exist at Hamburg, although he was informed 
that the German authorities themselves did not believe it to exist 
there, it had been thought right to cancel the order admitting 
animals from Schleswig-Holstein into the interior of this country ; 
and further, an order had been issued that all sheep coming from 
Germany must be slaughtered at the place of landing. Special 
directions had been given to the inspector to watch the cargoes 
coming from Hamburg. He was very glad to have the oppor¬ 
tunity of removing a misconception with regard to the late import 
of Schleswig-Holstein animals into the port of London. It must 
not be supposed that the large import of animals took place solely 
in consequence of the relaxation of the order a month ago, and the 
admission of the animals into the interior. The import of them 
had just begun, and consequently they could not have come under 
any circumstances before; and it would be more convenient to the 
trade, and probably more profitable, that they should go into the 
interior without restriction. He did not mean that the trade should 
be stopped, especially with the high prices of meat, but he was 
placed in a most difficult position between, on the one hand, the 
natural fear of persons interested in the trade, and on the other, 
the idea that the restriction had something to do with the high prices 
of meat. But if he had done what he had been allowed to do—that 
was, if he had allowed all German arrivals to be taken into the 
interior—he could not see what would have prevented the cattle 
plague from spreading all over the country. (Hear, hear.) The 
disease took seven days to develop itself, and as the passage from 
Hamburg was only about three days, it was evident that if there 
were no restriction the disease would spread over the country. 
Col. Barttelot expressed a hope that Government would use the 
most energetic measures to prevent the infection spreading through 
the country. 
RINDERPEST IN GERMANY. 
Monday, August hth. 
Mr. M l Laren asked the Vice-President of the Council whether 
he had any information as to what steps the German Government 
had taken to prevent the introduction of the rinderpest from Russia 
into Germany. 
Mr. Forster said he was informed that an order was issued 
at Berlin prohibiting the importation of Russian cattle on the whole 
