IMPORTATION OF CATTLE.

West Coast Times, Issue 79, 5 December 1865, Page 2

IMPORTATION OF CATTLE.

WESTLAND DECLARED A QUARANTINE GROUND. The Diseased Cuttle Act— under which tho proclamation declaring certain colonies of Australia, nnd portions of tho colony of New Zealand, infecteddistricts.wasissuedbythoSuperintendont in the exerciso of his delegated authority — confors a power of appointing, from timo to time, places for Quarantine Grounds, into which cattle from prohibited districts may bo brought into tho province, subject to certain official inspection. Tho sth clause of the Aot reads thus '•— 6. "Tho Governor may, by any order in Council, from time to lime appoint places for Quarantine Grounds under this Act, and may make regulations for the management of such Quarantine Grounds, and fixing the feos and charges thereof, and for the destroying of diseased cattle, and for the landing and driving of cattle under this Act, and generally for regulating and enforcing the performances of the duties hereby imposed on Inspectors and on masters of ships or vessels " Tho Inspector of Diseased Cattle under the Aot is to bo entitled to n, fee of two and sixpence on each head of cattle on board, to be paid to him by tho master of the ship ; such fees never however, to amount to an aggregate of moro than LlO, in tho cast of cattlo brought by any ono ship. A penalty not exceeding five hundred pounds may be enforced on every master of a ship landing or permitting to be landed' oattlo without a proper cartificate of inspection, or refusing or neglecting to detroy diseased cattlo on board after proper notico given him. Thero are other regulations for tho destruction of infeoted cattle in the colony, for the appointment of Quran tine Officers, for tho definemont of tho Quarantine districts, etc. Theso powers, delegated to him under tho Aot, tho Superintendent of Canterbury has at last exorcised. Ho has appointed the district of Westland, extending from the sea to the dividing rango, a quarantine ground The official announcement of this fact was received in town on Friday night, and it was in consequence of this that tho cattle were landed from tho Claud Hamilton by tho Bruce during Saturday and Sunday morning Tho ports of the West Coast are thereforo now opou to the importation of cattle, under inspection and quarantine regulations, from all parts of the world. Mr Sale has been appointed Inspector under tho Aot, and he has nominated Mr Matthias as his Sub-Inspootor. Capt Turnbull as Harbor Muster, will lend his co-operation in carrying out tho regulations. Ono of tho great, long standing, grievances of tho Westland settlors bos thus been tardily redressed, and it is to bo hoped tho result will be a moro plontiful supply of cheap and whole* some food for tho people.