1811.9 
feelings:—such a thing must be resisted 
with all his might. Referring to the 
early part of the last century, an emi- 
nent writer has observed as follows: 
* Some of the counties in the neighbour 
hood of London petitioned the parlia- 
ment against the extension of turnpike- 
roads into the remoter counties. Those 
remoter counties, they pretended, would 
be able to. sell their grass and corn 
cheaper in the London-market. than 
themselves, and would thereby reduce 
their rents and ruin their cultivation.” 
(See Rees’s Cyclopedia.) It is difficult 
to pourtray the feelings which arise on 
meeting with a fact like this upon re- 
cord, or to attempt to describe the cha- 
racter of these petitioners without placing 
them at once in a low scale of human 
beings; but, with respect to the merit 
and absolute necessity of these proposed 
roads, it is not easy to conceive a better 
argument in their- support than that 
which visibly arises from what was so 
ridiculously stated, in this instance, as 
the grounds upon which they were op- 
posed. From the circumstances of the 
‘case it becomes evident, that these pe- 
titioners possessed the advantage of such 
roads as enabled them to carry their 
produce to market; that they possessed 
this advantage exclusively to the pre- 
jadice and injury of others ; that, availing 
themselves of this advantage, they had 
unreasonably raised their rents and price 
of produce, which they now said would 
be reduced if the proposed roads were 
opened.—It would be a bad compliment 
to the understanding of the reader to, 
enter into any thing like a grave argu. 
ment, to prove the ridiculousness of such 
reasoning. The mind natarally turns 
from it ungratified. 
The more enlightened principles of 
political economy soon became better 
and more. generally understood. Im- 
provements continued to be made in the 
public roads, and new ones were every 
where formed. ‘The apprehensions even 
of these petitioning monopolists were 
proved to be delusive: none of the ima- 
ginary evils which had haunted their 
minds appeared. Their rents and cul- 
tivation continued to advance. The 
eoantry was greatly benefited, the cir- 
cumstances of the, people were greatly 
improved. . Wheel-carriages were every 
where introduced, and the cruel system 
of pack-horse-carriage was gradually left 
off. The public roads were kept in. bet- 
ter repair, the country increased in 
wealth and power, and every thing wept 
Lut... 
Canal Navigation. 
109 
on prosperously, The superior advan 
tages of inland navigation were however 
in this country, as yet, unknown. At 
length, about 1755, the late Duke of 
Bridgewater conceived the idea of a 
canal from his coal-mines in Worsley 
to Manchester, and in a few years his 
scheme was carried into execution. This 
brings us to a new era in the history of 
this country. The spirit of honourable 
speculation which had long been on the 
alert, suddenly appeared in full activity. 
In a few years, canals and public roads 
were forming in every part of the king+ 
dom. Under these favourable auspices, 
the interests of agriculture and commerce 
continued to advance with a progress 
beyond former example. The last fifty. 
five years have produced a series of in- 
teresting events: to this kingdom they 
form a period of great trial: more than 
thirty years of this time, this country has 
been engaged in prosecuting the most 
expensive and destructive wars, with a 
prodigious waste of blood and treasure. 
The industry, fortitude, and exertions, of 
the people, seemed to rise above all their 
difficulties: Great Britain apparently 
increased in wealth and in power; her 
commerce rapidly advanced to a pitch of 
prosperity unequalled and unrivalled: 
During this eventful period, besides the 
improving of public works, of harbours, 
estuaries, navigable rivers, tideways, &c. 
and the forming of new works for publie 
accommodation, on the most extensive 
scale, upwards of one hundred navigable 
canals and rail-ways were completed in 
the United Kingdom, constituting an ex 
tensive and connecting system of three. 
thousand miles of inland navigation. 
The eagerness with which plans for 
forming canals are now embraced, after 
past experience, is the best proof of their 
merit, whether considered with respect 
to public advantage, or individual remu- 
neration. ‘They have invariably had the 
effect of reducing the price of the neces- 
saries of life. On the opening of a canal 
in some districts, the price of coal has_ 
declined more than 60 per cent.; and 
the carriage of produce and other freight 
has, in numerous instances, been reduced 
in a still greater proportion, 
Tn the present age, the great public 
benefit derived from inland navigation, 
is unquestioned; yet, by introducing a 
line of canal into a country which, from 
time immemorial has ‘been subject to a 
fixed and settled order of things, the po- 
pulation of which will be so distributed, 
being the effect of time and experience, 
as 
