228 
PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. 
would be like a rope round his neck, and would be rather strongly- 
pulled before he had done with it. (Laughter.) In a matter affect¬ 
ing such varied interests, it was impossible to avoid a great deal of 
conflict on both sides. One reason why he welcomed inquiry was 
that he wanted to give his lion, friend (Mr. Read) an opportunity 
of supporting the charges made by him against the Veterinary 
Department, being convinced that after they had been thoroughly 
sifted he would be candid enough to withdraw them. If there had 
been any fault on his own part it was not for want of attention, 
for the result of his responsibility was that he had only had a fort¬ 
night’s holiday this year. (Hear, hear.) As regarded rinderpest, 
his hon. friend was mistaken in supposing that several animals 
having cattle plague had been imported into this country. Eight 
vessels had come to England with cattle plague on board, but only 
one animal that was affected had been landed, and the precautions 
taken were sufficiently stringent to prevent any extension of the 
disease. He must claim credit for the department, inasmuch as 
during thelast threeyears, with cattleplagueraginginFranee,Belgium, 
and Germany, they had succeeded in keeping away that disease. 
As to Russian cattle, not a single animal had been allowed to go 
into the interior. The hon. gentleman (Mr. Read) said that more 
vigorous steps ought to have been taken in Yorkshire. The very 
instant telegraphic intelligence reached London of the existence of 
cattle plague, one of the inspectors was sent down and the most 
stringent precautions were adopted. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. C. S. Read said he did not charge theVeterinary Department 
with being remiss; but said that either there, or somewhere else, 
there was a certain amount of inactivity. 
Mr. Forster said that with regard to Yorkshire he must express 
his sense of the determined way in which the local authority of the 
East Riding put the Act into operation. He thought that the fact 
that the Act did not give power to slaughter animals that were at a 
little distance from those that were infected was one which it would 
be very desirable for this Committee to consider. (Hear.) He 
should be glad to be guided by the information which the Committee 
would obtain ; but he was rather sanguine that it would be shown 
that the department had carried out faithfully and to the utmost of 
its power the Act as it was passed. Ho doubt the Act gave a great 
discretion to the Government in regard to cases in which it should 
compel the immediate slaughter of the animals, but he was strongly 
of opinion that it would be found very difficult to change from that 
practice without great inconvenience to the home consumer. With 
respect to the home disease, they entered upon the first practical 
legislation for the prevention of such disease when they passed this 
Act. He was of opinion that the time had come when there should 
be a careful inquiry into what had been done with a view to decide 
whether they had better go further in the course hitherto pursued, 
hr whether they ought to some extent retrace their steps. (Hear, 
Lear.) His own impression was that the restrictions in the Act 
fore of use in stopping the home disease, especially the very dan- 
