ROAD ENGINEERS. 41 



from the ability and talents of Mr, McAdam and his 

 sons, they did not reap from the Government the 

 financial reward they were so justly entitled to expect ; 

 petitions to Parliament and other endeavours to obtain 

 adequate remuneration for the services rendered by 

 them were not altogether successful. 



Indirectly the establishment of many mails and 

 the acceleration of others were attributable to the 

 labour and scientific abilities of Mr. McAdam, for 

 without good roads the coaches or mails never could 

 have attained anything approximating their rate of 

 speed for some years prior to their being superseded 

 by railways. 



The acceleration of postal communication means, in 

 fact, the bringing places nearer to each other, and very 

 greatly facilitates the general commercial transactions 

 of the whole kingdom. 



But, although the Postmaster-General obtained 

 great advantages in the expeditious transit of all the 

 correspondence committed to his charge, he was not 

 in a position to make any recompense to the persons 

 through whose agency the advantages accrued, the 

 Treasury being the Government department through 

 which these payments would be made. 



It may be that this division of departments has 

 been the means of causing not less than three great 

 men, including Mr. McAdam, to be dealt with by the 



