Mr. Mnndella's reply was very exhaustive and powerful. He showed
that the Act, which bad only been five years in opera- tion, had done wonders in the way of stamping out rinderpest and sheep-rot, diminishing in a very great degree pleuro- pneumonia, and keeping down foot-and-mouth disease to a com- paratively minute figure, as compared with its ravages in 1871. He showed that the Duke of Richmond and Mr. Clare Sewell Read had both expressed themselves fully satisfied with the working of the Act, and doubtful whether it would be possible to work it more stringently ; and he declared that if the inter- mediate course of slaughtering suspected cargoes of cattle at the port of arrival was to be dispensed with altogether, and the alternative between free entry and complete prohibition alone left, new legislation would be needed, since the Act of 1878 legalised distinctly that intermediate course ; and he insisted at length on the frightful cost to the food of the country of the new policy. His speech was, to our minds, absolutely convincing; but some Liberals deserted to Mr. Chaplin and a good many stayed away, and the Government was defeated by a majority of 8; 200 votes to 192. We are disposed to think that it would be even better to invite the House to rescind its vote, than to act upon it.
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