202 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



was thought their excessive loads did much to 

 wear out. The Acts had force in the country 

 generally, hut London and a radius from twenty- 

 five to thirty miles were usually excepted. 



A very lengthy and severe General Turnpike 

 Act, emhodying some of the provisions already 

 detailed, with many new ones, was that of 1766. 

 Preamhles to Acts of Parliament are generally 

 exaggerated statements of the necessities that 

 jirocured the passing of the enactments to which 

 they sometimes afford astonishing prefaces. They 

 are, indeed, officially so recognised, and lawyers 

 accordingly descril)e them as " common form." 

 The preamhle, however, to the Act of 1766 was 

 an exact statement of affairs, and in saying that 

 " the laws for the general regulation of turnpike 

 roads are very numerous and in some respects 

 ineffectual," it merely set forth a commonplace 

 of the time. 



For a numl3er of years hefore the passing of 

 this measure, lengthy and heated controversies 

 had arisen on the subject of Avaggons and roads, 

 and as a result it Avas generally conceded that 

 wheels Avitli narrow tyres and heavy loads cut 

 up the highways into ruts, Avhile broad wheels 

 so distributed the Aveight that they greatly 

 minimised that evil, or even, if they Avere broad 

 enough, rolled the surface into a better condition 

 than it Avas in l)efore their passing. Inventive 

 minds, rioting Avitli theories not perfectly tested, 

 went to extremes and produced extraordinary 

 waggons Avith heavy iron rollers instead of wheels, 



