ACTS RELATING TO STAGE-CARRIAGES. 211 



Started omnibuses of their own, and by combined 

 opposition succeeded in driving liim entirely off the 

 road ; not, however, before the new system of travelHng 

 was fully established. 



The word " omnibus " was for some time not re- 

 cognised by the Legislature. The conduct of the stage- 

 carriages which are employed in London, and within 

 ten miles of the General Post Office, was further regu- 

 lated by an Act passed in 1838, in which they are 

 directed to be called " Metropolitan Stage-carriages," 

 and by which, besides the rules applicable by previous 

 Acts to these conveyances as stage-carriages, other 

 enactments were made as to the Stamp-office plates, 

 etc. It also empowered the Secretary of State to 

 appoint a Registrar of Metropolitan Stage-carriages, 

 whose duty it was to issue the license which the Com- 

 missioners of Stamps are authorised to grant to drivers 

 and conductors. These licenses the Registrar may 

 grant to any person above sixteen years of age, who can 

 produce certificates of his ability to drive, and of good 

 character ; and are subject to much the same restric- 

 tions as applies to hackney-coach drivers. 



Another regulative Act was passed in 1843. Omni- 

 bus proprietors were as before to fix their own fares ; 

 but the list of fares was to be painted inside the omni- 

 bus. A further Act passed in 1855 contained two or 

 three further clauses ; the mileage duty was reduced 

 from one penny halfpenny to a penny a mile, etc. In 

 1836 a joint-stock association, called the " London Con- 

 veyance Company," was established ; which proposed 

 to run omnibuses along the principal lines of traffic, 

 starting at short and regular intervals, and conducted 

 by men of sober and respectable character. The 

 result of this experiment was so successful that other 



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