Remarks on the Present System of Road Making / With Observations, Deduced from Practice and Experience, With a View to a Revision of the Existing Laws, and the Introduction of Improvement in the Method of Making, Repairing, and Preserving Roads, and Defending the Road Funds from Misapplication. Seventh Edition, Carefully Revised, With an Appendix, and Report from the Select Committee of the House of Commons, June 1823, with Extracts from the Evidence

by John Loudon McAdam

APPENDIX.

Appendix (B.)
MEMORANDUM of Mr. Johnson, respecting the Roads under Mr. MᶜAdam’s superintendence.

As I travel rapidly over great distances, and my attention is usually much occupied with the immediate business of the office, I cannot speak with accuracy about particular and local alterations. But I feel myself well warranted in stating, that whenever I have found any thing done under Mr. MᶜAdam’s immediate direction, or by his pupils, or even in imitation of his plan and principles, the improvement has been most decisive, and the superiority over the common method of repairing roads, most evident; and, as superintendent of mailcoaches, I have abundant reason to wish that Mr. MᶜAdam’s principles were acted upon very generally. If they were, a pace, which in winter or any bad weather cannot be accomplished without difficulty, would become perfectly easy, to say nothing of the comfort and safety of the traveller, and the credit to humanity in lessening the hard labour of the animals. I may add, that although so much has been accomplished, the postmaster general could still expedite the conveyance of the mails, and bring the arrangements of the posts nearer to perfection, if the roads were universally as much improved as the practice of Mr. MᶜAdam’s plan would effect.

Chas. Johnson.

General Post-office,

Dec. 8, 1819.

P.S. As one instance of the benefit of Mr. MᶜAdam’s improvement, I beg to mention that the mail last winter lost ten, fifteen, and twenty minutes, in passing from Staines to Bagshot, but now the time is exactly kept.

C. J.

Appendix (C.)
LETTER from Postmaster General to the Lords of the Treasury; dated 20th December 1819.

To the Right Hon. the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury.

My Lords,

We beg to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Harrison’s letter of the 26th ult. transmitting, by your lordships command, the application of John Loudon MᶜAdam, submitting his claim on account of his inquiries relative to the improvement of the roads in this kingdom, and requesting any information in our power with regard to Mr. MᶜAdam’s services.

In conformity to your lordship’s desire, we have applied to the superintendent of mailcoaches, as the officer in our department most competent to give information upon the subject of Mr. MᶜAdam’s exertions; and we beg leave to inclose his report, and to add, that with respect to the road near Staines, to which he alludes, we had found it necessary to give notice of indictment, which has been prevented, by the commissioners resorting to Mr. MᶜAdam’s assistance and advice, which have produced the excellent road mentioned by the superintendent.

The road from Newbury, through Reading to Twyford has been so much improved, that the mail-coach has been better enabled to keep its time than heretofore; and we are convinced, that if the roads near London were improved in a similar manner, considerable advantages would be obtained to the correspondence in general, but particularly in places from ninety to one hundred miles distant.

We are, with great respect, My Lords,

Your Lordships very obedient humble servants,

Chichester.

Salisbury.

General Post-office,

20th Dec. 1819.