tillers, and other trades, by the Excise. He had no doubt that Englishmen would submit to such regulations as a wise Legislature deemed proper for the benefit of all, particularly when they did away with the evil and nuisance of such a place as Smithfield.
Mr. Leslie Conceived, that the passage of the cattle through London to the Islington market would still be a great nuisance; he had been told that a large number of the sheep which came to London, arrived from Kent, and the nuisance of their going through London to Islington, would be greater than that caused by their going to Smithfield. He also called attention to the fact, that the £42,652 paid over to the city of Paris was not clear profit, but was a return of about 6¼ per cent. on the original cost of the abattoirs.
Mr. C. May conceived the subject was so clear to the common sense of every one, that it resolved itself simply into a pecuniary question, affecting the city of London, and when that was arranged, the whole matter would be settled. Bad as our system might be, he still thought better beef was to be had in London than in Paris; but he believed great improvements might be introduced, and he thought the best mode of carrying out their views would be, by impressing them on the public mind, and by showing the butchers the losses they sustained, in every way, by the present system.
Mr. Armstrong begged to direct the attention of the meeting more directly to the Islington market, with which he was intimately connected, and of which the actual circumstances should be correctly known.
An Act of Parliament was in existence, for establishing that market and allowing certain limited rates of tolls to be levied; it was only proposed to establish one abattoir at that spot, and there was no idea of monopolizing the whole trade of London, which indeed would be impossible. This was proved at Paris; where, in a city so much smaller, it was found necessary to have five abattoirs; it therefore did not require much argument to show, that a larger number of establishments would be required for London, and those should be so placed, as to intercept all the droves of animals arriving in the metropolis. It was proposed, at the Islington market, to attach to the abattoir small sheds, to be let, at a certain rent, to the butchers, where their own servants might kill the animals. If by any mutually advantageous arrangement, the Company could take from the butcher those parts of the offal, &c., which were used for various manufactures, the public would rather be gainers.
When other abattoirs were established, it would be competent for a butcher to select that one which afforded him the greatest accom-
