Mr. Lincoln to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of the United States,
London, March 17,
1893.
No. 943.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a
copy of a note which I have received from the Earl of Rosebery relative
to the importation of cattle to this country from the United States,
transmitting a list of alleged cases of contagious pleuro-pneumonia
recently landed from Boston and Baltimore.
In this connection, I also inclose a question asked yesterday in the
House of Commons and answered by Mr. Gardner, president of the board of
agriculture, relative to the importation of Canadian cattle into this
country.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure to No. 943.]
The Earl of Rosebery
to Mr. Lincoln.
Foreign Office, March 14, 1893.
Sir: I referred to the hoard of agriculture
the note which you did me the honor to address to me on the 27th
ultimo, in which you urged that the restrictions imposed in this
country on the importation of cattle from the United States might
without risk be relaxed, as the cattle of the United States were now
free from contagious pleuro-pneumonia, and I have now received the
board’s reply.
They state that they do not think that they can add anything with
advantage to their observations, which I had the honor to
communicate to you in my note of the 28th of January, and which do
not appear to have been under the consideration of the United States
Government at the time when the instructions upon which your note of
the 27th of February was based were issued.
The board inform me that since their letter, upon which my note of
the 28th of January was founded, was written the instances noted in
the accompanying table have occurred in which cattle landed from the
United States have been declared by the board’s veterinary officers
to have been suffering from contagious pleuro-pneumonia.
I have the honor to request that you will submit these observations
and the inclosed table to the Government of the United States.
I have, etc.,
| Date of landing. |
Name of vessel. |
Port of shipment. |
Number of diseased cattle. |
| 1893 |
|
|
|
| Jan. 21 |
Kansas |
Boston |
9 |
| 29 |
British Empire |
do |
l |
| 29 |
Cambroman |
do |
2 |
| Feb. 3 |
British King |
Baltimore |
1 |
| 5 |
Ottoman |
Boston |
1 |
| 10 |
Sagamore |
do |
2 |
| 14 |
Michigan |
do |
2 |
|
Total |
|
18 |
[Inclosure 2 to No. 943.—From the
London Times, Friday, March 17, 1893.]
The importation of Canadian cattle.
Mr. Leng asked the president of the board
of agriculture whether, in consideration of the importance of
British agriculturists, importers, and shipowners being able to make
their arrangements for the ensuing season, he would now state what
course the board intended to take with respect to the restrictions
on the importation of Canadian cattle.
Mr. Gardner. After the most careful
consideration of the various facts which have been brought under my
notice in connection with this matter, I have arrived at the
[Page 352]
conclusion that I should
not be justified in restoring the privilege of free entry in the
case of Canadian cattle until I am in possession of the additional
evidence which would be afforded by a systematic examination,
extending over a reasonable and sufficient period, of the lungs of
the cattle landed here for slaughter at the port. I trust that the
result of such an examination may be to confirm the view that the
requirement of slaughter at the port can be waived with reasonable
security against the importation of diseased animals, in which case,
and in the absence of any unfavorable news from Canada, I consider
that I should be bound under the statute to allow free entry to be
resumed.
Mr. Leng. Can the right honorable gentleman
give the probable length of the examination?
Mr. Gardner. The examination will not be
prolonged beyond the period found to be necessary for the purpose,
and the more numerous the cattle which come forward the shorter will
necessarily be the period of examination.
