ROAD ENGINEERS. 39 



day ; a road made or repaired on his plan being 

 described as ' Macadamised.' 



Thus James McAdam, having acquired a thorough 

 practical experience in the management and making of 

 roads, and having filled many important situations in 

 connection with them, was eventually made Sir James 

 McAdam, became the General Superintendent of 

 the Metropolitan Roads, and was in that position at 

 the time when railways were gradually being opened 

 from London, or, as he expressed it, ' the calamity of 

 railways has fallen upon us.' His remark was made 

 with reference to the diminution of the tolls along 

 the main roads out of London, and the consequent 

 reduction in the funds available for keeping them in 

 an efiicient state of repair. 



In the year 1839, in anticipation of an annually 

 increasing diminution in the tolls, McAdam foretold 

 what has since occurred, viz., the maintenance of 

 the roads by the parishes through which they pass. 

 If, he said, the creditors exercised the right they pos- 

 sessed of taking the tolls for payment of the principal 

 and interest due to them, the maintenance of the 

 roads by the parishes must be a most serious point ; 

 it was taking place silently throughout the kingdom, 

 and as soon as this became better known, and the 

 ease with which it might be done, he had no doubt a 

 great many turnpike-roads in the kingdom would be 



