98 THE COACHING AGE. 



at any part between the springs, their strong fasten- 

 ings would preyent the wheels getting away. On 

 the contrary, if the same accident should happen 

 to a perch-carriage, the wheel would leave it, and the 

 coach would most likely upset. 



Mr. Purcell appears to have gone very fully into 

 the question of perch or no perch, and was evidently 

 very strongly prepossessed in favour of the latter. 

 The plan, however, was never tried in England, 

 although Vidler, the contractor for supplying the 

 mail-coaches, had about two hundred at work ; and 

 when a change was about to be made in the construc- 

 tion of the mails, and the contract was thrown open 

 for public competition, the various large stage-coach 

 builders built coaches each on their own model and 

 plan. A premium of a hundred guineas was offered 

 by the Government for the model or drawings and 

 description of the best carriage, it being stipulated 

 that while safety, speed and convenience were to 

 be particularly attended to in the construction, the 

 expense must, be kept within moderate limits, so 

 as not to exceed that of the best stage-coaches. 

 Several models and designs were accordingly fur- 

 nished, and some coaches built which were submitted 

 to the Postmaster-General for his inspection in St. 

 James's Square, on an appointed day ; but there was 

 only one without a perch, an Irish coach, which I 



