196 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



Even so late as 1660 Charles II. issued a pro- 

 clamation against hackney-coaches standing promis- 

 cuously at street corners to be hired. But although 

 down to the year 1823 the London hackney-coachmen 

 enjoyed a monopoly which remained undisturbed, yet 

 the hackney-coach at this time was never worse. The 

 hackney-coach had hitherto been drawn by two horses, 

 and was a huge, lumbering vehicle, uncommonly slow 

 and uncomfortable to ride in. Whilst this was the state 

 of things in London a lighter carriage, called cah'iolet 

 de place, had been brought into extensive use in Paris ; 

 but it was not till 1823, and then with great difficulty, 

 that licenses were obtained for cabriolets to ply for 

 hire in London at fares one-third lower than those of 

 hackney-coaches. The new vehicle was a hooded 

 chaise drawn by one horse and carrying only one 

 passenger besides the driver, who sat side by side with 

 his fare as I have said before. An improved build was 

 soon introduced by which room was provided for a 

 second passenger, and the driver was separated from 

 his fare. 



With the rapid extension of a lighter class of 

 vehicle, numerous varieties of construction were in- 

 troduced, some providing for three or four passengers, 

 some were on two wheels, others on four ; but all were 

 drawn by one horse, and the word "cab" was used for 

 the first time in connection with a hackney-carriage, 

 and so they have ever since been called, no matter 

 what their construction, provided they plied for hire 

 as hackney-carriages. All restrictions as to number 

 ceased in 183 1, by an Act 2 Wm. IV. ; the fare was 

 then one shilling a mile. 



The office for the licensing of hackney-carriages 

 was removed to Somerset House in 1782. The lost 



