4

instead of tending to their preservation, because being rented, the renters compound with the owners of waggons to receive double tolls going and returning, on permission to carry any weight they wish. The immense rents given for weighing machines, could not be raised by any other means.

WHEELS.

A new application of wheels has been made by Rev. Mr. Milton, of Heckfield, Hants, who has taken out a patent for what he calls an idle wheel: by which he ineans a small wheel so placed adjacent to one in action and in constant use, as to be a ready substitute, should any accident disable it. This idle wheel is not called to any duty, while the former is capable of supporting the carriage, but should it come off, for instance, then this wheel in reserve, supplies its place. The form and construction of the coach and its ap purtenances, are also rendered as snug as possible: the luggage is placed wholly in the fore boot under the coach box, and in the boot behind the body of the machine. The contrivance is distinguished by ingenuity, and it should seem, also, by safety; it is also said to carry great weights of luggage without fatiguing the horses more than others. The weight is placed as low as possible: but this practice has its limits, by reason of waters and floods to be passed; also of deep ruts, and snows.

Cylindrical Wheels.

roads, even cylindrical wheels would have their disadvantages.

The first set of broad wheels made use of in roads in this kingdom, was formed by Mr. James Morris, of Brock-Forge, near Wigan in Lancashire, who having a deep bad road to pass with his team, made his first set 13 inches, and the next year another of nine inches in the sole; his travelling with these to Liverpool, Warrington, and other places, was noticed by some persons of distinction, particularly Lord Strange, and Mr. Hardman, memstrict inquiries of Mr. Morris concerning their ber for Liverpool, &c. who, after making nature and properties, reported their utility to the house, which occasioned an act of parliament being made in their favour.

The greatest evil in the whole business of a coachmaster, is the uncertainty of the wear of wheels. A set of wheels has been known to be completely worn out in a journey to and from Edinburgh.

Cylindrical wheels are not so strong with the same materials, the axle-tree must be

made considerably longer, and also stronger, otherwise it would strike the side of the coach.

Breadth.

men's carriages, is not under three inches The proper breadth of wheels for gentleor four inches; the present breadth is two inches, some an inch and a half; the wheels of stage coaches should be four inches at least ; the heavier ones six, and five foot wide at the bottom; at present, it is about four feet six. Friction.

It is a very material consideration in all By the use of cylindrical wheels, a com- wheel carriages, to take off the friction as mon road would not be very greatly inferior much as possible, as it gives a great degree of to an iron railway; the advantage of the rail-resistance to the moving power and in order ways being in the reduction of friction on the surface of the road. By the exclusive adoption of cylindrical broad wheels and flat roads, there would be a.saving of one horse in four, of 75 per cent. in repairs of roads, 50 per cent. in the wear of tyre, and the wheels with spokes alternately inclined would be equally strong with conical ones, and wear twice as long as wheels now do on the present roads.

It is natural to suppose, that the intention of the legislature in making a law in favour of broad wheels, was, that the rims of them should be cylindrical, in which case there would be an equal pressure on all parts of their surface; and a smooth road would be kept so by that equality of bearing. In sand, stony gravel, sludge, or snow, broad wheels pick up more obstacles than narrow ones, and their draught in such circumstances is greater; but narrow wheels, though lighter, divide gravel, snow, &c. yet they make deep ruts, forming a lodgement for water, that is peculiarly detrimental to roads; but while wheels of all breadths run promiscuously on the

to effect this, the iron on which the wheels are run ought to be of the hardest and besttempered kind, and the inside of the nave of the wheels ought to be cased with iron, as wood causes a most powerful friction; the wheels also, must be kept well oiled or greased, which has a wonderful effect in reducing the friction.

The friction is the same on four wheels as on two, and whether the wheels be broad or narrow, the friction is the same; for if the wheels be broad on the surface that comes in contact with the ground, and the pressure being the same, the friction is divided over a greater surface, and consequently is not increased.

a

If oxen are drawn two and two abreast in two-wheeled carriage, a perch or pole must go between them, and this, with part of the weight, must bear on their backs; now the position of the animals is such, that every jolt or jar which the wheels receive is communicated to the beast or beasts between the shafts, and if the road be rough and uneven, it is continually shaken and jolted from one side to the other,

=

to attention.

waggon,

Expences.

reasons are obvious. Many of these carts in the north, get up and down great or small hills, by going in a zig-zag direction, thus traversing their ground twice over; whereas the eight horses, with the same weight, traverse the same distance of road but once. It is however much more convenient for carriers in

the north, to have carts rather than a waggon certainty of loading that we have, therefore with eight horses, because they have not that they can take either one, two, or three carts, just as their loading suits; whereas, the business calculated as above rarely had less than what eight horses could draw every day for many months together, and was frequently obliged to hire farmers to take extra loading. Mails.

who supply him and pay for the coaches at
the rate of from 3d. to 3 d. per double mile,
out and in, according to the distance and
other circumstances. About four years ago,
the box and boot were made easy, by being
put on horizontal springs, and every exertion
sible, nor is it believed they can be made any
has been made to make them as light as pos-
lighter with safety to the coach and passengers,
travelling in the night time.
more especially considering the difficulties of

Mr. Vidler contracts with the coach masters,

except at some private roads and bridges, and In all cases, mail coaches pass toll free, coming into town on Sundays, and going out on Sunday evenings.

Cannot ser enty-five cwt. as now laid on a nine-inch and drawn by eight horses, and they go over from eleven to twelve thouThere are in all about 220 mail coaches, be drawn by single horse carts with conside-sand miles every day. derable advantage to the public? That weight is the average of summer and winter weights now allowed, exclusive of the weight of the waggon, &c. and is so taken in this question. It does appear that this weight may be drawn on five narrow-wheel carts, having one horse each, being 15 cwt. per horse, and that, viewing the matter in this abstract way, there is a saving to the public of three horses in eight. But it will be necessary that we first consider the relative expences attending these different modes of conveyance; as justified by facts only. One waggon goes 200 miles north in the same direct connection, every day. It has eight horses and one man, the waggoner, the guard not noticed. These eight horses and one man cost 30s. each per week for keep; say £13. 10s. toll 30s. per week, together, £15. per week. Now five carts with five horses, and five men, for we cannot legally nor yet safely, in the south, have less; at 30s. each (and less could not be given to the men, unless they should pay themselves by robbery), amount to£15; tolls £ 4: in the whole 19 per week. It is also notorious, "that shaft horses wear away much faster, and are more in danger, than the chain horses; it is equally certain, that often greasing 10 wheels, would be more than double the expence of four wheels, which now is considerable; building and repairing five carts would exceed the same for one waggon; these last items would in practice be 40s. per week, extra. We therefore have £15. per week, versus £21 per week, making a difference on six waggons up and six down every week, of £72, or £3744 per annum in favour of the nine-inch waggon.

It is a practice in the north, for one man to have the command of five or six carts, but there is not that risk, nor those depredations committed in the north as in the south; the

This with us is not legal, and many a man has been fined for not being with his cart.

venting many accidents, if all coachmen, It would be of great consequence, in predriving mail and other coaches, were subject ment, if by their drunkenness or negligence to some summary mode of corporal punishany accident happened.

and their exemption from tolls causes a heavy Ten mail coaches daily leave Edinburgh, loss to the turnpike funds, amounting to £655. 14s. 6d. annually.

While the mail was carried on horseback, profit to the persons who conveyed it, there or in such in a way as not to be a matter of could be little objection to its passing free of toll, but, now, when it has become a most lucrative concern to have a mail coach, there is no reason why the proprietors of it should not contribute their share of the expence, of upholding those roads on which their carriages travel.

The great profits derived to the contractors for mail coaches, have led to their increase. They now run in every direction; they have been established in some districts desire of the landholders, but more freat the quently at the request of the mercantile inte rest, and in some cases, merely at the desire of the contractor, because it would prove a lucrative concern to him.

t

yeomen, and the daily increasing prosperity
of the towns on the coast, are among the
principal causes of this rapid change, which
commenced as soon as the road to Guildford,
Horsham, and Arundel, was opened.
Legal Evil.

It is said that some of the very lowest class of attorneys, have been in the habit of sending down informers from London into several counties, to discover the names of persons whose teams are now on the road, drawing with more than the number of horses allowed; and they then immediately issue a writ out of the Court of King's Bench, and before the party has an opportunity of staying proceedings, he is put to four or five pounds expence.

Duty.

for ten stages and six mails, by an account The duty paid in the course of one year delivered to the oflice, from April 6, 1897, to March 7, 1808, appears to be £14,906.

7s. Od.

Remarks on the Mischiefs arising from return Pest Chaises, &c. Sc. being per mitted to carry a Number of outside and inside Passengers.

History of a Road. The road leading from Warnham near HorArandel; but this account particu5 to that part lying in the parishes and Dolingshurst. Twenty years the prednce of this country was carried Eng market on packhorses, during the WIT r. About that time the farmers made a most excellent stone road, which the great plenty of stone in those days enabled them to do at a moderate expense; conceiving this road could be always maintained with little cost, from being used only by themselves, they declined petitioning for an act. From the neglect always attending the execution of the parish offices, the new road, which, if attended to every year, would have been kept up at a moderate cost, from not being repaired for seven years, became almost irreparably injured, the great foundation stones, (the under bed of the road,) being laid bare and cat through. A vast expense has every year since been incurred to keep up a very bad and dangerous road, continually under indictment. A navigation being brought within a mile of Billingshurst, this line of road is now perhaps become one of the greatest thoroughfares in the county, for the conveyance of coals, chalk, lime, and corn to Horsham, and timber from the deep parts of the county to the wharf. From there being no tolls, and the distance being less, this road receives a natural preference to any other, and every effort to improve it is restrained, from the conviction that a degree of deterioration will be the infallible consequence of amendment. No gentleman having resided in the country possessed of freehold property, is the principal reason why the inhabitants were not instigated to procure an act of parliament, to set up toll gates long since; for the last two years it has been under consideration, yet the expense Besides his regular outgoings, loss of horses, of the act (£300 at least) is found a great wear and tear of chaises, carriage duty £17 obstacle, and one which ought not to exist in per annum, hay, corn, stable rent, harness, the way of public improvements. Stone is no collar and coachmaker's bills, &c. &c. all longer to be procured, but at a great depth, which must be paid out of the balance of and a greater distance than usual; and this has 10s. 6d. The post-boy, on the other hand, at least brought us to a crisis, for the expense when he gets to Barnet, has given him by the is so enormous, that the road will be abandon- traveller 2s. 6d. a good dinner, or what he ed, or an act must be procured to relieve us chuses to eat or drink at the inn; and if the from part of the burthen. The country pro- traveller is going farther, he sometimes reduces plenty of stone, and the general import- ceives from 2s. to 10s. 6d. for bringing the ance of this road to the whole country is in- job into his line, which is paid by them all calculable, since it is a very fertile corn coun-jointly. The boy then loiters about three or try for the most part and exceedingly populous. There is no other direct road in Kent, Surrey, or Sussex, which has not long derived the benefit of the toll system, though many of them do not, like this, possess the least means of amendment. This part of Sussex was but a few years ago uncivilized, and it advance in agriculture and internal improve ment, is unparalleled. The demand for timber, the low rent of land, the number of

Supposing a post-master's post-chaise is hired by a gentleman to go to Barnet, or any other given distance of 12 post miles, the gentleman, at the present rate of posting, namely, 1s. 3d. per mile, is charged 15s. for the job, out of which the postmaster has got to pay 14d. per mile for each horse, suppose two, for the said 12 miles, s. d.

The duty amounts to

3 0

Feed of corn for two horses ...... 1 6

Expences

4 6

four hours, more or less, till he gets a load of
back passengers, and of them he gets half-a-
crown per head, which,
Supposing three, is
What he received of the traveller

more...

Of the inn-keeper

S. d. 7 6

2 6

2 0

Nett profit to the boy ......

12 0

Besides treats from the passengers, &c. He then gallops back to the half-way house with his passengers, in general of the lowest order, leaves the horses to stand in the cool air at the door, gets drunk, stops beyond the time when he ought to be home, perhaps for some hours, spoils the horses, tears the chaise to pieces; and upon any observation on his conduct his master receives a shower of abuse, and a threat to leave his service; and as for changing, the next would be as bad.

It is therefore humbly conceived, that perinitting such a practice is a gross fraud upon the revenue, an injury to the boys (as the money they get makes them bad members of Society) as well as their masters, and calls loudly for redress.

for a letter, and think no more of what it really has cost. The sufferings of men and horses, are supposed to be paid for by a pecuniary compensation. This sentiment is too general.,

Whoever suggests an improvement on methods now in use, by which labour is alleviated, by which the cattle that sustain such labour are eased, is a friend to humanity, and deserves praise and honour: whoever adds to the personal safety of those who travel is the friend of his country. The good condition of the roads is one mean of such safety, and we have purposely reserved to this place the minute observation, that even the introduction of a better species of nail into the tire of wheels, is entitled to commendation, and may prove of considerable service. What are called "rose-headed" nails, project from the circumference of the wheel, and by the weight they support are pressed into the ground they pass over. A countersunk nail, is free from this objection, and avoids this damage: "using the broad part of the nail, cross the bate, or grain of the wood, is a great improvement," says a gentleman, who was consulted by the committee. Nothing can be more easy than to give this simple practice a fair trial. Our inference is, that the slightest practical hint may be of essential service, and when it has been fixed by usage it may be of lasting benefit.

It cannot be supposed that our limits permit us to include so much as we desire of these Reports, at large, on a subject so copious as that of the highways of this extensive kingdom. We must, therefore, content ourselves with presenting the principal and leading ideas distinctly but there are many others that well deserve attention. A number of ingenious men, who have made observations on what has appeared to them detrimental, or have turned their attention to what would be in their judgment improvements, cannot communicate their opinions without producing much benefit to the public. We are to recollect that the diversity of seasons, the differences of soil, the uphills and downhills of roads, as well as the density or rarity of population, are all to be considered and provided against, if possible, by a legislator. The system of Britain, which allows of no vis inertia, no stagnation, no suspension of urgency, requires uncommon management to support it. Whether it be natural to man to labour and travel by night as well as by day, may be decided without much difficulty yet the interests of commerce, the speedy conveyance of letters, and the passage of those whose time is too valuable to admit of delay, induce us to waive such inquiries, and to avail ourselves of the resources offered by art. We accept these advantages, without inquiring whence Some have proposed the laying of stone they come; and we read in the news- waggon ways along the roads, but these, papers of horses dropping down dead from in the opinions of others, would soon be intense heat, and violent exertion; or of worn into grooves, and become nearly the waters being out, and overlowing useless. Iron railways are not liable to extensive tracts of country: or of snows this imperfection. But these are objecfilling up the roads, and resisting every tionable, in as much as they render crosseffort made to extricate carriages of various ing impracticable, or at least, all crossdescriptions. We then pay a few penceings are interruptions of them; while

We find suggestions on a great variety of subjects, in these Reports. Some think the tolls on coaches should be according to the number of passengers, and that a double toll for all passengers exceeding the limited number, would prevent the evil of overloaded carriages To this we ob- `, ject, that now passengers will get down from a coach on its approach to a turnpike, and walk a little way, till out of sight from the gate-keeper, and thenmount again. Would they not do this to greater extent, knowing that the increas ed toll would be charged to them by the coachman ?