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pens, duly provided with pure water, fresh air, shade in hot and
shelter in cold weather; where they are less exposed to violence
and brutality of drovers; and where the transport of
blood, offal, hides, and tallow can be effected, without nuisance
or complaint of neighbours, to places where they can either be
sold, or preserved by methods free from objection, or utilized
at once for the owners thereof.
4. And lastly, this is the most important recommendation,
where, as I maintain, there is no difficulty in carrying out,
viz., in the inspection, by competent judges, of the cattle before
they are killed, or of the meat supplied, either in carcase or
otherwise, to the public markets, or to retail dealers.
In conclusion, permit me to remark, that it will neither be
creditable to Parliament, nor to the local governing bodies of the
metropolis and large towns, to endure the present state of
things a day longer than is necessary. The Act, as I have
said, will shortly come into operation, and a great achievement
will be performed by simply remaining quiet and doing
nothing at all. Should any efforts be made by persons interested
in the prolongation of the Act, it will then, I urge,
become the duty of this Association to make some representation
to Government with a view of effectually putting a stop to
a system so offensive, so injurious, and so repugnant to the
feelings of all right-minded persons.
Among those present at the discussion were the following:—Mr.
R. T. Arnold, Dr. Bateson, Mr. J. J. Brown, Mr. Sneade Brown,
Mr. R. Calvert, Dr. Carpenter, Mr. W. J. Cooper, Dr. Thomas
Dudfield, Professor Gamgee, Mr. C. V. Game, Mr. P. C. Greatorex,
Mr. C. J. Grece, Dr. Hardwicke, Mr. E. L. Jacob, Mr. D. Jarvis,
Mr. H. N. Mozley, Mr. C. A. Ratcliffe, Dr. George Ross, Dr. Sarvis,
Mr. G. W. Shaw, Mr. Joseph Smout, Mr. J. Smout, jun., Mr.
Thomas Webber.
Dr. Sarvis (Medical Officer of Health for Bethual Green), said
he should give his vote against the total abolition of private slaughterhouses.
In summer he thought it was an advantage to have
them near where the meat was to be sold, for nothing was so injurious
to the meat as its transit. We might keep the best of the slaughterhouses.
Professor Gamgee was much astonished to hear a medical officer
of health advocate the continuance for one day of a single private
slaughter-house in any city of the world. It was also astonishing to
him to find how hard it was for the public interest to be protected in
opposition to that of a trade, which always would have advocates
looking out for, and seeking in every possible way, to add to its