CAUTION TO SHEEP-OWNERS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4120, 4 November 1870, Page 2

CAUTION TO SHEEP-OWNERS.

We would strongly recommend the owners of sheep in the district to observe the peculiar severity of the law with regard to sheep infected with scab. Very stringent scrutiny is at present being applied, in order if possible to eradicate scab from the district, and the circumstances attending a case in the Police Court yesterday are especially deserving of attention. Every one knows how readily infeotion is given by sheep being allowed where Bcabby sheep nave been j but perhaps every one is not aware that such accidental occurrence is no plea in mitigation of a penalty which it is intended to increase with every offence brought before the Court. For the information of sheep-owners, we append the following section of the Sheep Act, bearing on the subject : — " No sheep-owner shall remove any sheep infected with the scab, or allow them to stray from the lands of such sheep-owner ; and if such sheep-owner shall, without the germission in writing of the Inspector of heep for the district, remove or allow any such sheep to stray from the said lands, he sball forfeit and pay for every such offence any sum not exceeding one hundred pounds, and any further sum not exceeding ten pounds for every day or part thereof during which such sheep shall not be on the said lands of such sheep-owner ; and if any person shall, without having obtained such permission in writing as aforesaid, drive or conduct, or permit or suffer to be driven or conducted, any sheep infected with the scab disease upon any highway, or upon any lands not in the possession of the owner of such sheep, every such person shall forfeit and pay for every such offence any sum not less than five pounds nor more than fifty pounds. Provided always that nothing herein contained shall prevent any sheep from being conveyed in covered vehicles on any highway, or upon or over any lands not being as aforesaid in the possession of the owner of such sheep j provided also that it shall be lawful for any person upon whose land any such sheep are trespassing to remove the dame therefrom, and to drive or conduct them to the place of abode of the owner thereof, or to such place as the owner shall direct, or to the place from whence such sheep may have strajed, or to some public pound."— Sheep Act, 1863, section 14.