26 THE COACHING AGE. 



that no rate should exceed at one time lOd. in the 

 pound, or 2s. 6d. in the year, unless specially autho- 

 rized by the ratepayers in the manner pointed out by 

 the Act. The surveyor having made out his rate- 

 book in the form prescribed by the statute, and got it 

 allowed by two magistrsites, and then duly published, 

 let us look a little into the manner in which he used 

 to expend it, and the account he had to give of it 

 before he came to the vestry for another rate. I say 

 ' came to the vestry,' for ^it was generally looked 

 upon as a necessary step before a rate could be made ; 

 at all events, no surveyor was bold enough to incur 

 the odium of ignoring the vestry and making a rate, 

 as he might have done, privately in his own little 

 back parlour. Of course, under such circumstances 

 he would never expect to be re-appointed at the end 

 of the parochial term, even if he desired it, which, 

 in some cases where there were emoluments attached 

 to the office, might occur. 



To set the vestry at defiance in a small agricultural 

 or out-of-the-way parish was tantamount to making 

 enemies of all the principal inhabitants — not a very 

 desirable position to be placed in. By the Highway 

 Act of 1835, some forms of account to be kept by the 

 surveyors, and annual returns to be made by them, 

 are set out in the schedules to the Act, and these 

 accounts were verified on the oath of the surveyors 



