rUESKX TATION TO MR. FRY Lll. 
(;2() 
ported by the landowners, farmers, and others in carrying out the 
object they had in view, and it is with much satisfaction that they 
present you this day with three valuable and handsome works of art, 
which they feel sure you will be gratified to receive, and to hand down 
to posterity as heir-looms. 
“The first:—An oil painting, a portrait of yourself, executed with 
much artistic taste and skill by Mr. Hugh Jerman, of Kirkby Fleet- 
ham, a portrait ^vhich, as it reflects credit on the artist, will for 
many years to come (as we hope) reflect a pleasing and faithful 
likeness of yourself, and convey to your descendants a just idea of 
their worthy sire, who was held in such high respect by his 
neighbours. 
“The second:—An elegant frosted-silver epergne, with appro¬ 
priate designs on the base, which suitably indicate the object of the 
testimonial. 
“ The third :—A time-piece, which we trust will long remain in 
your family, a memento of a past affliction, and at the same time a 
slight token of the estimation in which you are held by the sub¬ 
scribers. 
“ With every desire for your future welfare, and in appreciation of 
your past public services, the Committee now authorise me to present 
you with this testimonial. 
“Bedale, June 8, 1869.” 
Mr. Fryer, who was loudly applauded on rising, said that after 
the very flattering remarks that had fallen from the Chairman, 
asking him, in the name of the subscribers, to accept the magni¬ 
ficent testimonial, he felt at a loss for terms in which to express the 
deep obligations under which he had been placed by their great kind¬ 
ness. He could not but think that any services rendered by him 
during the dreadful visitation of the cattle plague had been greatly 
overrated. He did, to the best of his ability, his duty. This they 
had a right to e.xpect, but he was not aware that he did more than 
any inspector ought to have done, who had any sense of honour, or 
a proper consideration for those whose property was so seriously 
endangered. When first appointed cattle plague inspector he, like 
most of them, thought it very unreasonable that all cattle attacked 
with the rinderpest should at once be slaughtered without a fair trial 
of the vis medicatum ; but a very little experience convinced him 
that medicine was of no avail, and to nurse the disease was only to 
generate a vast amount of infection, to be carried by the winds over 
the whole district, so that cattle two or three miles distant were not 
safe from an attack of this dreadful disorder. He named to a few 
persons deeply interested in the matter, living in the petty sessional 
division of Allertonshire, the necessity for checking its progress by 
killing all infected animals, and giving compensation. But he re¬ 
gretted to say that not one of them fell in with his views, and the 
proposition flailed. But when that terrible plague in its rapid pro¬ 
gress reached the district of Hang East, it became to him a time of 
the greatest anxiety, and he had no doubt that most of them shared 
