PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. 
229 
gerous disease of pleuro-pneumonia, if put in force by the local 
authorities throughout the country; and one point which the Com¬ 
mittee would have to consider was, whether the present permissive 
legislation ought to be replaced by more extended and compulsory 
powers. (Hear, hear.) As regarded the foot-and-mouth disease, 
complaints had been made against the department on account of the 
spread of that disease ; but they would before the Committee be 
able successfully, he thought, to defend themselves, and to throw 
back the charge partly upon the Act not being strong enough, and 
partly upon the local authority not carrying it out. (Hear, hear.) 
He was glad that his honorable friend had proposed to inquire into 
the operation of the Act in Ireland, and he hoped that the Irish 
members themselves would be found willing to support any restric¬ 
tions which might be considered necessary, for nothing would do 
more good to Ireland as a producing country than that more care 
should be taken of the cattle at home. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Downing had no objection to the inquiry being extended to 
Ireland, because he believed it would be found that much exag¬ 
geration prevailed in regard to cattle sent from that country. In the 
county which he represented he had not heard of a single case of 
a beast dying from the foot-and-mouth disease, and they had had 
no rinderpest in Ireland. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Pell observed that much of the evil complained of arose 
from the want of uniformity in the orders issued by the borough 
and county authorities. (Hear, hear.) Whatever was the cause, 
there was a good deal of the foot-and-month disease found amongst 
the cattle that came over from Ireland. 
Motion agreed to. 
SUPPLY OF HOUSES. 
horse or lords.—Thursday, February 20 th. 
Their Lordships met at five o’clock. 
The Earl of Roseberry, in proposing an address praying her 
Majesty to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the 
condition of this country with regard to horses, and its capa¬ 
bilities of supplying any present or future demand for them, 
said that since he had given notice of his motion he had been in¬ 
undated with communications, including one from Lord Ossington, 
written to him from the bed of sickness. A letter had also been 
addressed to him through the press by a gentleman of whom it 
might be said that he had ‘‘given up to horses what was meant for 
mankind.” That gallant officer stated that “ the facts from prac¬ 
tical knowledge bearing upon the state and condition of our national 
stud convinced him that in 1873 there was a greater number of 
horses of every description in England than ever was known, and 
that in their respective classes and vocation they were superior to 
their predecessors.” If that was the gallant Admiral’s opinion he 
believed that he stood alone in it. The gallant Admiral went on to 
