.POST-OFFICE, ROADS, AND CONVEYANCE. 603 



will be to involve the different trusts deeper in debt." Thus corroborating 

 the opinion of that able, judicious, scientific, and practical road-maker, 

 the late Mr. Edgeworth, who states the origin of all the defects in 

 the system to be " the want of an economical application of the trust 

 funds, as nothing relative to the construction or modes of drawing 

 can avail much towards the improvement of the roads." 



On the second proposition, tf that of abolishing the existing im- 

 post of tolls, and providing a substitute for defraying the charge of 

 maintaining and repairing the public roads," Mr. Fuge remarks, 

 " Much variety of opinion may be expected, as by some it is con- 

 tended that no fairer mode can be resorted to than that of taxing the 

 traveller for the use of the road. Much as this may appear plausible 

 from long usage, it will be attempted to shew that it is very objec- 

 tionable in the detail, from the inequality in the scale of impost, by 

 the practice of raising the tolls upon the renewal of the lease, in or- 

 der to provide for the increased outlay in projected improvements, 

 and the high rate of interest paid for the money so raised. Nor can 

 such proceedings be otherwise than productive of evil, so long as 

 these conflicting parties exist; viz. the trust under the shelter of a 

 long lease the public as contributors without the power of control 

 and the parish constituting the highways under the agricultural in- 

 terest, which, when resorted to for aid to the tolls, leave the burden 

 on the occupier of the lands." 



We cannot follow Mr. Fuge into detail upon this subject but 

 shall simply say that it appears to him most desirable that the vexa- 

 tious impost of tolls should be abolished, and the funds required for 

 the maintenance and repair of roads, raised by means ff of a county 

 rate on lands, and all property whatsoever therein. By this substitu- 

 tion the inequality of tolls imposed in various parts of the kingdom 

 would be avoided, and a saving of the charge now incurred in the 

 collection of the income of not less than 15/. per cent. He also sug- 

 gests " a transfer of the existing debts by mortgage on the tolls, and 

 the anticipated reduction of charge for interest, by placing the secu- 

 rity to the lender upon a better footing;" he considers that much 

 labour is not required to prove, that, as a national benefit is to arise, 

 the debts may be funded upon annuity either as a national fund or a 

 local county debt, and the reduction of interest may be estimated 

 from one and a quarter to one and a half per cent., the present average 

 being not less than four and a quarter per cent. Taking the whole 

 amount of debts for England and Wales to be nine millions ster- 

 ling, the gain would be above one hundred thousand pounds per 

 annum." 



As Mr. Fuge's remedial suggestions upon these different topics are 

 swallowed up in Mr. Broun' s " Proposal for a Government Consolida- 

 tion of the Post-office, Roads, and Locomotive Conveyance," to urge which 

 upon the attention of our readers we have more prominently in view 

 by taking up this subject, we shall not proceed to consider them. The 

 extracts that have been given exhibit the evils, and the propriety of 

 removing them]; but the remedy, to be effectual, must be more sweep- 

 ing and comprehensive than what is submitted. Before, however, 

 coming to the Proposal, we shall strengthen these preliminary state- 



