1S16.] 



Proposed Improvements of St age. Coaches. 



415 



improve tlie exterior appearance of tlie 

 carriage, is far less fuvoiable to tlie 

 comfort of tlie passenf^crs ; fjccaiise, in 

 consequence of Midi perpendicular 

 baclcs, they are iiafnrally tiirowii for- 

 wards by every jolt of the road, and 

 bave scarcely the smallest chance of a 

 few hours sleep. I am aware that tliere 

 is one serious objection against increa- 

 sing the diameter of the fore-wlieeis ; 

 the body of the coach would then jire- 

 sent an obstruction to the tnrnin<; of the 

 axletree; but this difticulty may be ea- 

 sily removed by sacrificiiicf the box 

 under the front seat, and cutting away 

 the front of the cariia^e, so as to give 

 the fore-wiieels sufficient jooui for tiu- 

 versing. 



Instead of taking passengers and lug- 

 gage on the top, the coach should be 

 provided with a barouche behind, like 

 some of the short-stages near London. 

 These have a verj handsome appearance, 

 and are far more convenient, pleasant, 

 and safe ; and, as the barouche may be 

 easily made to hold from six to eight 

 passengers, tlie coach-mastr is ougiit, in 

 reason, to be satisfied with such a num- 

 ber of outside tjavcllers, together with 

 one, or at most two, with the coachman* 

 on the box; which, if intended to hold 

 tliree, should be made a little wider 

 than at present. For the conveyance of 

 Ullage, a square box, made to the 

 height of an ordinary trnnk sliould be 

 fixed under the hind axletree, and this, 

 with the addition of the boot, \\ould 

 aflbrd sufficient room for ail the pack- 

 ages which ought to be taken. A little 

 framed seat might also be made for tlie 

 guard on the front of the roof, and jio 

 other persons, nor any Iiiguagc what- 

 ever, should be allowed to have a place 

 on the top. A strong hook should like- 

 wise be placed on llie side of the couch- 

 box, for the j>nrposc of liaiigiiig the 

 reins whenever the coachman is obliged 

 to leave the horses ; he should, by the 

 proprietors, be made liable to a (iirfeit 

 in case of neglect: and, as the guard is 

 the proper servant of the j)ubllc, iuid 

 receives his principal pay from them, be 

 should see (hat this, as well as the other 

 parts of his duly, are properly performed 

 by the coachman ; he should attend to 

 tlie luggage and the general accommo- 

 dation of the passengers, b(j1h on the 

 road and at the inns; and, at every stage, 

 should examine all parts of the coach 

 and harness, in order (o see that eveiy 

 tiling is safe. It would be a further 

 improvement, if in some conspicuoiis 

 yart of the cuach u tin-pUte were to be 



anixed, containing an enumeration of 

 the duties both of the coachman and 

 guard, with certain fines attached (by 

 the proprietors) to cases of neglect; 

 these tines to be levied by tlie dilferent 

 post-masters on the road, whenever the 

 charges of neglect were substantiated by 

 a majority of the passengers. On this 

 plate there should also be written (by 

 order of ti»c projirietors) tlie number of 

 persons to be to-Cca; the amount of the 

 short fares ; and the weight of luggage 

 allowed to each,— not jiarsimoniously 

 slJnliiig this allowance to twelve oi 

 fourteen pounds, but giving to every 

 one a rcasoVsabiC and liberal proportion, 

 beyond which a fair charge ought to Ijc 

 made for every extra pound. 'With 

 respect also to the time allotted for 

 meals, as mncli as is consistent with 

 proper speed should he marked down 

 oa the plate of regulations, together 

 with t!ic names and dist^tuees of the 

 places where such meals are to be 

 taken ; and proper agents should be ap- 

 pointed by tiie proprietors to see that 

 these are on the table at the moment 

 when the coach arrives: and that, in the 

 winter scasou, a good fire is burning iu 

 the room,— because it too frequently hap- 

 pens, that, by the shameful iuattcntioa 

 of imi-keepers, coacli-passengers ar« 

 treated more like vagrants going in a 

 pass-c^rt to their parishes, than lika 

 pei-sons of respectability', who have paid 

 the full price of good accomniodaiions. 

 It is by no means uucommon for tnw 

 vellcjs, after chivciing in a cold and 

 damp room, to see the waiter bringing 

 iu the iiicals, «nd to hear the gnanl 

 blowing his horn iii order to announoe 

 the departure of the coach, nearly at the 

 same moment; and it is scarcely po*- 

 Bible to conceive of a more gross and 

 scandalous imposition, both on thft 

 purses ;uid the patience of the public. 

 M ere the pro; riotors of our different 

 coaches, iustc-ad of endcavotiring \6 

 conquer each otlier in a race of insanity, 

 to strive who should he rao?t punctual 

 in tJie time of arrival, who should hav» 

 the most civil and attentive servants, 

 the best cattle, the best accommoda- 

 tions, and ihc most secure conveyance^ 

 they would soon find that the puiilic 

 conddeiiee would invariably be given to 

 those who set the most value oq tho 

 lives of their own horses, and on the 

 comfort and .';u(ety of their pasiicngcrs. 



Among th« various (Integers to Whicb 



travellers by stage -coadies arc exposed, 



there is, lio^eTor, one, which, arcordiii*»- 



to the present strtit'tnic ('f these public 



r.ouvcyuuses. 



