REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF HOUSE OF COMMONS. 239 



tlngulshed engineers of that day, gave testimony to 

 their great value, and the practicabiHty of the system 

 being universally introduced on our roads. 



The Committee of the House of Commons con- 

 cluded with the following memorandum : 



1. That carriages can be propelled by steam on a common road 

 at ten miles an hour. 



2. That at this rate they can convey fourteen passengers. 



3. That their entire weight does not exceed three tons. 



4. That they can ascend and descend steep gradients with 

 perfect safety. 



5. That they are perfectly safe for passengers. 



6. That, if properly constructed, they are not and need not be a 

 nuisance. 



7. That they are cheaper than carriages drawn by horses. 



8. That they admit of greater width of tire than other carriages, 

 and as the roads are not acted on injuriously by horses' feet as in 

 common draught, they do not wear the roads out like horses do. 



It seems a great pity that, the Committee of In- 

 quiries having arrived at such conclusions, nothing 

 more should have been done ; as from the time this 

 Committee sat to consider the question, notwithstand- 

 ing their favourable report, the scheme seems to have 

 fallen to the ground. Had it not done so, I have no 

 doubt that by this time every one who now keeps a 

 carriage would have had one propelled by steam, and, 

 to make the idea still more ludicrous, all the business 

 of life which is now carried on by wheeled vehicles 

 drawn by horses, would be dependent upon steam 

 for their means of propulsion. I can scarcely imagine 

 the Park, in the height of the season, or Piccadilly, or 

 Belgravia, the scenes of such innovations. As I 

 suppose, had road locomotion succeeded to the same 

 extent as railway locomotion has done, ladies would 

 drive their steam carriages in the Park, and the youth 

 of the period would visit his club, and make his 



