. COACHING BUSINESS. 197 



— hence the proprietors did not desire the total 

 abolition of the tax. 



It may be asked, perhaps, what cheek there was 

 on a proprietor taking out a license for a small num- 

 ber of passengers, and paying the reduced scale of 

 duty accordingly, but carrying the larger number on 

 his coach, which, of course, remained unaltered, and 

 capable of carrying the larger, although only licensed 

 for the smaller number. The answer is this — there 

 were in those days many penalties to which coach - 

 proprietors were liable for any trivial infraction of 

 the law, and among others was a penalty for having 

 the luggage above a certain height on the roof. 



As these were penalties to be recovered by those 

 who would take the trouble, and did not mind the 

 odium attached to the necessary proceedings, there 

 were some men who were perfectly notorious as 

 common informers, principally against persons com- 

 mitting offences on the ,road against the Turnpike 

 or other Acts. As the informers got half, or perhaps 

 in some cases more, of the penalty, they made a 

 living by it. Facilities were afforded by the Act 

 of Parliament for getting the luggage measured, 

 while the number a coach was licensed to carry 

 was bound to be conspicuously painted on it in the 

 place and manner from time to time specified ; so, 

 in the event of the coachman taking up a passenger 



