Mr. Lincoln to Mr.
Blaine.
Legation of the United States,
London, May 19,
1892.
No. 678.]
Sir: I have the honor, with further reference
to your instruction No. 671, of January 18 last, to inclose a copy of a
note, dated the 14th instant, which I have received from the Marquis of
Salisbury, communicating the reply of the board of agriculture to the
representations made in my note of February 16 last, a copy of which was
inclosed in my dispatch No. 628 bis of February
27 last.
It will be observed that the board still refuse to admit cattle or swine
[Page 327]
free from slaughter, but
offer to admit sheep under certain arrangements.
The board call attention to an inaccuracy in my note in stating that but
two animals had been declared to be infected with contagious
pleuro-pneumonia since the stationing here of our inspectors, and point
out the cases of three others, as to two of which I might have been
officially informed, the third being, it seems, a case under examination
as I was writing. It is due to myself to state that my note was based
upon the letter of the Secretary of Agriculture, inclosed in your
above-mentioned instruction, No. 671.
I have acknowledged the receipt of Lord Salisbury’s note in a
communication of this date, of which a copy is inclosed, and I deem it a
proper occasion to recall the attention of the board of agriculture to
the scientific opinions and facts, which in their view are not of
sufficient weight to raise even a doubt of the correctness of the report
of their own officers as to the two animals lauded in April, 1891.
My private information leads me to the conviction that these sporadic
declarations of infection, touching, perhaps, 1 animal in 100,000
arrivals, will continue to be made and to be maintained, in spite of all
representations as to their correctness.
Inasmuch as the Marquis of Salisbury made in his above-mentioned note no
allusion to the matter of the quarantine enforced by the Dominion of
Canada, I have recalled his attention to the subject in a note (of which
I also inclose a copy) dated to-day.
I have, etc,
[Inclosure 1 to No.
678.]
Marquis of Salisbury
to Mr. Lincoln.
Foreign Office, May
14, 1892.
Sir: With reference to my note of the 22d
of February, I have the honor to inform you that I have now received
a reply from the board of agriculture to your representations
respecting the importation of live cattle from the United States
into Great Britain.
The board having carefully considered those representations point out
that the order providing for the slaughter of American cattle at the
place of landing was issued in consequence of the arrival, in
January, 1879, of cattle affected with pleuro-pneumonia; and it
would appear, from the statement annexed, that since that date no
single year has passed without the detection of the disease in
question among cattle brought from the United States.
Since August, 1890, when the United States veterinary inspectors were
stationed at Deptford, Liverpool, and Glasgow, the disease has been
detected on four separate occasions, namely:
| Date. |
Name of ship. |
Port of departure. |
Number of cattle. |
| February 2, 1891 |
Sorrento |
New York |
1 |
| April 7, 1891 |
Parkmore |
Baltimore |
2 |
| December 26, 1891 |
Cranmore |
Boston |
1 |
| February 14, 1892 |
Queensmore |
Baltimore |
1 |
It will be seen from the above statement that the observation made in
your note that during the last eighteen months two animals only have
been found to be affected by pleuro-pneumonia, does not accurately
represent the circumstances of the case.
With reference to the observations made in that note as to the
character of the disease, from which the two animals therein
referred to were suffering, the board point out that they must
obviously accept the opinions of their own veterinary advisers,
rather than those of the American Government; and I beg to refer you
to my note of June 18, 1890, in which I stated that the board, while
assenting to the
[Page 328]
proposal
of the United States Government to station veterinary inspectors of
their own at ports in this country, reserve to itself the unfettered
right of acting upon the opinion of its own officers, even though
they should unfortunately differ from the views which might he
entertained by the veterinary inspector of the United States. In
each of the four cases in which pleuro-pneumonia has been discovered
among cargoes of animals arriving in this country, the officers of
this board have reported that the disease was contagious
pleuro-pneumonia, and the board see no reason whatever to doubt the
accuracy of the opinions thus expressed.
In these circumstances the board regret that they can come to no
other conclusion than that the admission of cattle from the United
States without any requirement of their slaughter at the port of
landing would be fraught with danger to British stock, and that it
ought not, therefore, to be assented to.
With regard to the proposal that cattle should be shipped from
Chicago by the way of Portland, Boston, Baltimore, and Newport News
the board think that it will be sufficient to point out that two of
the vessels in which diseased animals have been detected since the
commencement of 1891, have reached this country from Baltimore and
that the third arrived from Boston.
With regard to the admission of swine, the information in the
possession of the board of agriculture points to the fact that swine
fever still prevails extensively in the United States of America,
and the reason which led to the issue of the order providing for the
slaughter of swine at the place of landing therefore holds good.
As regards sheep, the case is somewhat different from that of either
cattle or swine, and the board see no reason to think that there is
now any appreciable danger of the importation from the United States
of any disease affecting those animals. The board would, therefore,
be willing if the American Government desire it to admit sheep
without necessarily subjecting them to slaughter at the place of
landing; but it must be clearly understood that they would not be
allowed to be landed with cattle or swine otherwise than for
slaughter at any foreign animals’ wharf, and arrangements for their
separate debarkation would therefore require to be made if it was
desired that they should be moved from the landing place alive.
The board further observe, that their first duty is to safeguard the
stock owners of this country against the danger of infection, and
having regard to the facts, to which they have above referred, they
have no hesitation in saying that, at the present time, the removal
of the regulations as regards American cattle and swine, against
which the representations you did me the honor to make to me are
directed, would be attended with considerable danger, and they much
regret, therefore, that they are not able to give effect to the
wishes of the United States Government in this matter.
I have, etc.,
James W. Lowther,
(For the
Marquis of Salisbury.)
[Inclosure 2 to No.
678.]
Cases of pleuro-pneumonia detected among cattle
from the United States of America landed in Great Britain from
1879 to 1892, inclusive.
1879.—One hundred and thirty-seven cattle,
forming part of fifty-seven cargoes, were found affected with
pleuro-pneumonia after being landed at the ports of London and
Liverpool. The cargoes came from Baltimore, Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, and Portland.
1880.—Two hundred and twenty-nine cattle with
pleuro-pneumonia landed from the United States at the ports of
Liverpool, London, Hull, and Bristol. They were brought from New
York, Boston, Baltimore, and Portland.
1881.—Thirty-nine cattle, forming part of
fourteen cargoes, with pleuro-pneumonia, from United States, landed
at Bristol, Liverpool, and London from Boston and New York.
1882.—Four cattle, forming part of three
cargoes, affected with pleuro-pneumonia, were landed at Liverpool
and London from New York.
1883.—Three cattle, forming part of three
cargoes, affected with pleuro-pneumonia, were landed at Liverpool
and London from Boston and New York.
1884.—Six cattle affected with
pleuro-pneumonia were landed in London from New York.
1895.—Seven cattle, forming part of five
cargoes, affected with pleuro-pneumonia, were landed at Liverpool
and London from Boston and New York.
1886.—Six cattle affected with
pleuro-pneumonia were landed at Liverpool from Baltimore, Boston,
and New York.
1887.—Twenty-two cattle, from one cargo,
affected with pleuro-pneumonia, were landed at London from
Baltimore. One case discovered on landing; twenty-one others after
slaughter.
[Page 329]
1888.—Twenty-one cattle affected with
pleuro-pneumonia were landed at Liverpool and London from Baltimore,
Boston, and New York.
1889.—Forty-seven cattle affected with
pleuro-pneumonia were landed at Liverpool and London from Baltimore,
Boston, Norfolk, and New York.
1890.—Fourteen cattle affected with
pleuro-pneumonia were landed at Liverpool and London from Baltimore,
Boston, and New York.
1891.—Three cattle affected with
pleuro-pneumonia landed in London from Baltimore, Boston, and New
York.
1892.—One in London from Baltimore.
[Inclosure 3 to No.
678.]
Mr. Lincoln to
the Marquis of Salisbury.
Legation of the United States,
London, May
19, 1896.
My Lord: I have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your lordship’s note of the 14th instant,
communicating the views of the board of agriculture in respect to
the admission into the United Kingdom, without slaughter, of cattle,
swine, and sheep imported from the United States, which I shall at
once transmit to my Government.
Pending its consideration I ought not to delay saying, in regard to
one suggestion of the hoard, that in addressing your lordship on the
12th of June, 1891, with reference to two cases of contagious
pleuro-pneumonia then recently alleged to have been found in a cargo
of American cattle, I did not fail to recall that the board of
agriculture had reserved to itself the unfettered right of acting
upon the opinion of its own officers, in case their opinion should
differ from that held by the veterinary inspectors of the United
States in respect to the existence of contagious disease in any
animal examined. I presented the opinion of the United States
inspectors only as that of competent experts, and in argument to
induce, if possible, a reconsideration of the views at first taken
by the officers of the board; and it was presented not alone, but
supported by that of a well-known veterinary expert of New York, and
that of the Professors Williams, of Edinburgh, and in addition by a
detailed history of two animals then under consideration, which in
the opinion of the Department of Agriculture of the United States,
demonstrated the great improbability, if not impossibility, of their
having been exposed to infection.
In view of the great detriment caused to our trade by the existing
restriction upon the entry of our live cattle, I cannot avoid
expressing my regret that my presentation of the case failed to
suggest to the board of agriculture, if I correctly apprehend the
expression of their views, any reason whatever even to doubt the
accuracy of the original adverse report of their officers.
I take this opportunity of saying that I am informed that the
pathological indications in the five cases mentioned by the board as
having been examined since August, 1890 (two of which were unknown
to me when writing, on February 14 last, and one occurred, it seems,
while I was writing), were essentially the same, and that it is well
known to veterinary experts that the practically noncontagious
character of the malady in which they appear has also been asserted
by Professor Norcard, of the Alfort Veterinary School, as the result
of investigation made by him, together with three other official
veterinary surgeons last year, at the instance of the French
Government.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 4 to No.
678.]
Mr. Lincoln to
the Marquis of Salisbury.
Legation of the United States,
London, May
19, 1892.
My Lord: In my note of February 16 last,
with special reference to the importation of live cattle from the
United States into Great Britain, I had the honor to solicit your
lordship’s good offices also in reference to the removal or
modification of a quarantine restriction enforced by the Dominion of
Canada against cattle imported from the United States, to which no
allusion is made in your note of the 14th instant; and I venture,
therefore, to ask whether your lordship is yet prepared to make any
communication to me upon the subject.
I have, etc.,
