34 
EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
from other animals. These necessary things could easily have 
been done, and nothing more would have been necessary 
until the conclusion of the show, when the owner of the dis¬ 
eased animal would have become the responsible person. If 
he moved the beast in contravention of the Act he would be 
liable to penalties ; but it should be clearly understood that 
no official of the Smithfield Club nor officer of the local au¬ 
thority had power to interfere to prevent the removal of a 
diseased animal from the Hall if the owner had chosen to 
commit an illegal act, and take the consequences; but, in 
fact, this difficulty would have been anticipated had circum¬ 
stances rendered further action necessary. The exhibitors 
would have been informed of the outbreak of disease, and the 
Smithfield Club would have given every assistance towards 
the obtainment of a licence for the removal of the dis¬ 
eased animals to the nearest slaughterhouse, or to some 
convenient place where they might be kept, if the owners 
desired, until they had recovered from the disease. One of 
the courses must have been adopted. It is quite clear that 
the animals could not be detained for an indefinite period in 
the Hall ; and, according to the terms of the Act, it is equally 
clear that they could not be moved out of it. The knot 
which could not be untied would necessarily have been cut in 
the most convenient and expeditious manner. Whether or 
not the Smithfield Club intend to perpetuate the exclusive 
system which they have this year adopted, we have no right 
to conjecture, but on sanitary grounds they have every 
reason to be satisfied with the results of the experiment. 
