8 



An especial feature of English legislation upon this 

 subject, during recent years, seems to be in the direction 

 of centralizing the responsibility mure than formerly ; that 

 is, instead of leaving the duty to the decision of each 

 parish, it has made it possible for several parishes to com- 

 bine into a district to be placed under boards of superin- 

 tendence, who are expected to employ professional sur- 

 veyors. Another noticeable tendency has been that of 

 changing the English turnpike to a free highway. This 

 latter change has no practical suggestion for us, as all our 

 county roads have for years been free. 



The other tendency, however — that of distributing the 

 responsibility over a wider area — suggests a measure 

 which has long seemed to us worth a careful considera- 

 tion, as one which, for our main thoroughfares, might be 

 adopted with more of justice than that of our present 

 custom, and with a prospect of better results than those 

 we now experience. 



Instituting a comparison between the English roads and 

 those in our own State, a late distinguished citizen of 

 this Commonwealth expressed the conviction that the 

 English horse, employed on the streets of a city or the 

 roads of the country, did twice as much work as is done 

 by our own horses similarly employed in this State ; and 

 he goes on to say that this is not because the English 

 horse is superior, or overworked, but because Englishmen 

 have invested in perfect and permanent roads what we 

 expend in perishable horses that require to be fed. What- 

 ever a people who have reached a desired result may 

 think that they have learned by experience in its achieve- 

 ment, is worthy of the attention of others who aim at the 

 same end. 



As our own system is now administered, it is possible, 



