112 



On the Scheme for aboliehing Turnpike Trusts 



teresrtnpr, that I do not scruple to re- 

 vert to It : not merely to remind tliis 

 body of an opportunity of collegiate 

 education, Jiitherto perhaps almost un- 

 known ; but also to deprecate with 

 deep concern, the exclusiveuess main- 

 tained at this age of the world in the 

 universities of Oxford and Cambridge. 

 Passing over tiie impolicy, if not the 

 injustice of dcpiiviug an important 

 portion of the people of the most libe- 

 ral education, aud of those collegiate 

 distinctions, which appertain to inter- 

 est* as well as honour, I would wish 

 the heads of those national institutions, 

 to consider the matter as it regards the 

 Church Establishment. The manifes- 

 tation of an exclusive spirit, with the 

 injuriousuess and indignity attending 

 it, tends only to exasperate the an- 

 tipathies of the dissenter: whereas, ad- 

 mitted in youth into the great semina- 

 ries of the established religion, accus- 

 tomed to I'everence her ministry as 

 instiuctors, sectarian jealousy (I speak 

 from observation) yields to filial regard. 

 But a separate and sectarian system of 

 education withers the fibres of national 

 union ; and of all monopolies, a mo- 

 nopoly of learning is the most invi- 

 dious. 



An architectural description does not 

 belong to my design, and may be more 

 properly omitted, as a young artist is 

 at present laying before the public, 

 views of Trinity College, Dublin. The 

 college is situated amid the finest parts 

 of the city, its magnificent front ter- 

 minating College Green. It consists of 

 three squares, and has a park, almost 

 bordering on the shore. The chapel 

 and examination-hall are noble edifices; 

 there is a small Museum, and an ex- 

 tensive library, lately enriched by the 

 collection of the learned Fagelt. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIB, 



IN the last session of parliament, a 

 bill was introduced for the purpose of 

 abolishing all the Turnpike Trusts 

 round the metropolis, aud of consoli- 

 dating them into one Trust under one 

 Board of Commissioners, This rash 

 and disgraceful measure having been 

 generally condemned, was hastily aban- 

 doned, but will again (it is rumoured) 

 be brought forward in the present 

 session. 



* Degrees are of no small value in the 

 professions of law and physic. 



t The father, I believe, of the Ambassador 

 from the Netherlands, 



[March I, 



That tlie state of the roads tliioughout 

 the kingdom, is a matter of great im- 

 portance — that they should be main- 

 tained aud preser^■(!d in the best pos- 

 sible condition, aud with the least ex- 

 pense to the communitj', no one will 

 venture to deny, Tiie interests of 

 agriculture aud commerce — the ease 

 and expedition of travelling, and the 

 facility of communication betv.-ceu dis- 

 tant places, are all essentially con- 

 cerned. But are these public benefits 

 likely to be attained under one Board 

 of Commissioners, composed of men, 

 high in rank and office, whose time and 

 attention are fully occupied in town 

 one half of the year, and at their coun- 

 try-seats the other half? Are gentle- 

 men, who possess no local information 

 or experience — wiio have no peculiar 

 interest in those roads, and no conti- 

 nued opportunities of inspecting them 

 — are those commissioners, let me ask, 

 so competent to the task as the present 

 trustees, who are chiefly men of intel- 

 ligence and respectability, who reside 

 on or near the respective roads, — who 

 are peculiarly interested in tlieir con- 

 dition, aud who necessarily have daily 

 occasion of observing the state of their 

 repair, and the conduct of the sur- 

 veyors aud workmen ? 



But, it may be said, that the persons 

 proposed to be appointed general in- 

 spectors and superintendents, are en- 

 gineers and }ncn of science, who will 

 construct aud maintain the several 

 roads upon scientific principles. Now 

 I am far from undervaluing any of tiie 

 sciences, but, it is really laughable to 

 hear the dignity of science thus degra<l- 

 ed to the mechanical operation of repair- 

 ing the turnpike-roads of Middlesex and 

 Surrif.'I I admit that Mr Telford is 

 an able civil engineer, aud Mr. M'Adam 

 a man of ingenuity, and that both 

 liave suggested some useful hints for 

 road-makers; but their leading prin- 

 ciples are perfectly simple and obvious ; 

 and, having been in a great degree 

 adopted, the roads in general, around 

 the metropolis, are now in good repair, 

 and are progressively improving. It 

 is quite ridiculous to expect the sur- 

 veyors of the Bientford or Whitechapel 

 roads to be adepts in geometry, che- 

 mistry, and mineralogy. We might 

 with equal propriety require a Titian 

 to paint our signs, and a Palladia to 

 build our toll-houses. 



In truth, it is shrewdly suspected, 



that the wliole of this novel proceeding 



is amerejob — an iniquitous attempt to 



creat« 



