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                  Local authorities under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts

                  In the 19th century local authorities were established to take measures against contagious diseases of animals. Under the Cattle Diseases Prevention Act 1866, commissioners of supply were required to nominate between four and fifteen commissioners, the Lord Lieutenant was to nominate an equal number of tenants of agricultural lands valued above £100, and these individuals along with the Lord Lieutenant, the convenor of the county and the sheriff were to constitute the local authority.[1] These local authorities were then required to appoint inspectors, empowered to slaughter cattle and cleanse premises, and allowed to pay for this from rates, to be collected by the commissioners of supply in counties and by the local authority in burghs. An amendment the same year enabled these local authorities to borrow money where their expenses exceeded what could be raise through rates.[2] In 1869, the tenants nominated by the Lord Lieutenant were replaced with elected local representatives of tenants of property valued above £100 and owner-occupiers of property valued above £50.[3]

                  Local authorities under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts were abolished by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, which transferred their functions to the county councils.[4] County councils, however, sometimes continued to use the name when carrying out their functions under the acts.

                  Surviving records are likely to be in local authority archives services and may be found amongst county council records.

                  Compilers: SCAN contributors (2000). Editor: Elspeth Reid (2021

                  Bibliography

                  Evans, A. A. L., ‘Health’ in Source book and history of administrative law in Scotland ed. by M. R. McLarty (Hodge, 1956) pp. 130-47

                  Slevin, John, ‘Rural Administration’ in Source book and history of administrative law in Scotland ed. by M. R. McLarty (Hodge, 1956) pp. 13-28

                  Whyte, W. E., Local Government in Scotland (Hodge & Co, 1936)

                   

                  References

                  [1] Cattle Diseases Prevention Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict c.2) s.5.

                  [2] Cattle Diseases Prevention Amendment Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict c.110.

                  [3] Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act 1869 (32 & 33 Vict c.70) s.118.

                  [4] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict., c.50).