THE FOREIGN CATTLE TRADE. 
553 
in those 137 animals was real pleuro-pneumonia. But the 
great point was this—that 63,000 of the whole number came 
over in steamers where no disease at all was found. What 
they asked the Privy Council to do was to allow the cattle 
brought over in steamers in which it was admitted that there 
was no disease to be permitted to be sent alive to the inland 
markets. With regard to sheep, there were thirty-three found 
to be suffering from foot-and-mouth disease, but there were 
535 steamers carrying 111,000 sheep in which no trace of 
that disease could be found. The gross amount of the loss 
occasioned by the ravages of pleuro-pneumonia a few years 
ago was calculated at £8,000,000; but the cost of these 
restrictions to the consumer was one penny per pound, and 
that meant £ 16 , 000,000 per annum. They might well run 
a little risk to save such a sum to the people of this country. 
Other gentlemen having addressed his Lordship, 
Earl Spencer, in reply, assured the deputation that he felt 
the deepest interest in the questions brought before him. 
He also appreciated the questions so far as they related to the 
food of large centres of industry. He warmly sympathised 
with the feelings which prompted them to wait upon him. 
He had frequently had to deal with the subject of the impor¬ 
tation of foreign live cattle, and had always endeavoured to 
keep in mind the great and noble principles of free trade, 
which had always guided the wisest statesmen, whether with 
regard to meat or bread supply to this country. (Hear, 
hear.) He also knew the requirements of farmers, whose 
interests had to be considered as well as other people's, and 
that their prosperity tended to the prosperity of the interests 
which they specially represented. He had tried to do what 
was right between all classes, and he had always urged 
moderation on the farmers when they sought to introduce 
protection for their industry. With regard to the matter of 
dealing with the diseases of animals, he took on himself the 
sole responsibility for that important branch of the Govern¬ 
ment w 7 hich the Privy Council represented, and he shielded 
Mr. Mundella from any participation in that responsibility. 
Having reviewed the history of the law 7 bearing on the subject 
of the importation of foreign cattle, his Lordship proceeded 
to enumerate the list of countries which the latest reports to 
his department made it necessarv for the Government to 
schedule, and said that his office had no power of admitting 
any cattle from any country unless satisfied that that country 
was free from disease. With respect to the admission of 
cattle from America, it had been found that diseased animals 
were among those that were landed from that country, and 
