THE OMNIBCS. 261 



man" of the 19th of October, 1728, will 

 prove : — 



" The persons authorised by Government to 

 employ men to drive hackney-coaches, have 

 made great complaints for want of trade, occa- 

 sioned by the increase of street robbers ; so 

 that people, especially in an evening, choose 

 rather to walk than to ride in a coach, on 

 account that they are in a readier posture to 

 defend themselves, or call out for help if 

 attacked. Meantime, it is apparent that, where- 

 as a figure for driving of an hackney-coach 

 used lately to be sold for about £60, besides 

 paying the usual duties to the Commissioners 

 for licensing, they are at this time, for the 

 reasons aforesaid, sold for £3 per figure 

 ofoodwill." 



The conveyance now known as the omnibus 

 was borrowed from our Continental neighbours, 

 for it was in existence in France two centuries 

 ago. Its rise and progress may not prove un- 

 interesting. Carriages on hire had long been 

 established in Paris, and were let out by the day 

 or hour from the sign of St. Fiacre. 



In 1662 a Royal decree of Louis XIV. 

 authorised the establishment of a carrosse a cinq 

 sous, got by a company, with the Duke de 



