298 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



lowest grade, unworthy of the sacred charge 

 entrusted to them — for sacred we believe the 

 charge of animals is, possessing blood, nerves, 

 and as conscious of pain and agony as our- 

 selves ; and if men, totally ignorant of their 

 duty to animals, and often to themselves, be 

 employed, it is not to be wondered at, that 

 excesses of all kinds will be committed. 



We confess we do not think this subject un- 

 worthy the consideration of the Legislature, 

 if by elevating this employment to something 

 like respectability, we should be encouraging 

 candidates of a superior grade, who, possessing 

 sobriety of conduct, and intelligence sufficient 

 to know the relative duties of man to beasts, 

 would treat the animals committed to their 

 care with kindness and consideration. 



We wish not to make any unju.st or sweep- 

 ing conclusion against all the present drivers 

 of public conveyances; on the contrary, we 

 know there are many, who do credit to their 

 occupation. On the long stages, they are, we 

 believe, all sober men, and if they commit ex- 

 cesses by driving too fast, it is rather owing to 

 the present system of coaching, than to any 

 wicked or cruel propensities of their own. A 

 drunken man would be incapable of holding a 

 situation on the road a single week, and it has 

 been within our own e.xperience to have noticed 

 the sobriety of the present drivers of stage- 

 coaches compared to what they formerly were. 



The cruelty practised by coach-masters on 

 the road, arises too often from competition, the 

 heaviest purse driving off the lighter one. It 

 has been durincr these struffErles that Horses 

 have been compelled to run their stages at 

 the rate of fourteen or fifteen miles an hour. 

 The general fast state of travelling and the 

 desire of passengers to be speedily at their 

 journey's end, however, has been the principal 



cause, and that, like most other luxuries, with- 

 out any regard to the feelings and misery of 

 their producers. 



Is there to be no latitude placed to the ex- 

 ertions of the Horse? Is there no scale of 

 space that we could limit the Horse to for his 

 hour's work, without cruelty ; or that would 

 be fast enough with safety to the passenger, 

 and within the capability of the powers of the 

 Horse, without straining him ? 



It is we believe within the memory of the 

 present generation that mail-coaches were 

 first established. They were considered to 

 be the fastest and most respectable mode of 

 conveyance. Competition has, however, en- 

 abled the public to travel quite as fast, and at 

 a considerable less expence than the mail. 

 So far, so good. If the other coaches were 

 limited to go no faster within the hour than 

 the mail (which, indeed is a fast pace), we 

 think it would be productive of good, and pre- 

 vent those constant struggles to get first. It 

 would be fixing the maximum of rate, and 

 placing every jiroprietor of coaches on the 

 same level. Indeed, we think, that if Go- 

 vernment had the controul of all coaches, by 

 appointing the guard as in the mail, it would 

 create a uniformity of the rate in travelling, 

 which might be beneficial to the Horse. 



At this time, when rail-roads are taking 

 the coaches off in many districts, it might be 

 a favourable opportunity of making alterations 

 which might be uniform, and curtail, if pos- 

 sible, some of those severities under which the 

 Horse labours. 



But the crying evil is in London, with om- 

 nibusses and cabs. Those ponderous cara- 

 vans (omnibusses) when first used in London, 

 had three Hordes ; they now only use two. 

 Two Horses now trot and stagger up Holborn 



