The Cattle-Plague returns are again bad, the increase of seizures
in the week being 1,400, and the total number 18,001. Letters are published every day affirming or denying the value of Mr. Worms' treatment with large doses of asafoetida, and as yet the evidence for and against is about equal. His experiment will, however, be tried on a great scale, for it has been publicly announced that he is not a veterinary surgeon, and it is therefore possible that he may know something about cattle. The Govern- ment Cattle Plague Bill has passed both Houses, but the represen- tatives of the cities are plucking up courage to fight Mr. Hunt's measure, and on Friday Mr. Ayrton, of all men in the world, after proving, to the great enjoyment of the House, that the member for Northamptonshire's plan would have given one man a monopoly of the London market, carried an amendment allowing cattle to be moved about in the Metropolitan district. Even now the Squires' Bill gives the monopoly of the supply of London to the foreign breeders, who can send their beasts by sea, while the home growers can only send up dead meat. By the way, who is going to compensate the little farmers for the expense of carting the animal killed on the farm up to the butchers ? That is a work one man cannot perform, or two either, and ought in fairness to be paid by a rent-charge levied on the owners who are hurrying through these Acts.
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