288 THE GOVERNMENT AND RAILWAYS. CHAP. XIV. 



not, however, secured without accidents, for there was 

 scarcely a newspaper of the period that did not contain 

 one or more paragraphs headed, " Another dreadful coach 

 accident." 



The practicability of railway locomotion being now 

 proved, and its great social and commercial advantages 

 ascertained, the extension of the system was merely a 

 question of time, money, and labour. A fine oppor- 

 tunity presented itself for the wise and judicious action 

 of the Government in the matter, the improvement of 

 the internal communications of a country being really 

 one of its most important functions. But the Govern- 

 ment of the day, though ready enough to spend money 

 in improvements of the old turnpike roads, regarded the 

 railroads with hostility, and met them with obstructions 

 of all kinds. They seemed to think it their duty to 

 protect the turnpike trusts, disregarding the paramount 

 interest of the public. This may possibly account for 

 the singular circumstance that, at the very time they 

 were manifesting indifference or aversion to the loco- 

 motive on the railroad, they were giving every encourage- 

 ment to the locomotive on turnpike roads. In 1831, we 

 find a Committee of the House of Commons appointed 

 to inquire into and report upon not the railway system 

 but the applicability of the steam carriage to common 

 roads ; and, after investigation, the committee were so 

 satisfied with the evidence taken, that they reported 

 decidedly in favour of the road locomotive system, 

 i Though they ignored the railway, they recognised the 

 I steam carriage. 



/I But even a Eeport of the House of Commons power- 

 ful though it be cannot alter the laws of gravity and 

 friction ; and the road locomotive remained, what it ever 

 <\vill be, an impracticable machine. Not that it is im- 

 possible to work a locomotive upon a common road ; 

 but to work it to any profit at all as compared with the 

 locomotive upon a railway. Numerous trials of steam 



