The owners of the 140,000 private riding and carriage-horses were 100,000 in number, and of these,

78,335persons kept1
17,358„2
4,080„3
1,624„4
622„5
380„6
328„7 to 8
81„9
107„10 to 12
54„13 to 16
6„17
8„18
6„19
67„20
And upwards.

From this it will appear, that two persons in every seven of those who are of independent means keep a riding or carriage-horse. The increase and decrease in the number of carriages and horses, within the last ten years, is a remarkable sign of the times. Since 1840, the number of all kinds of horses throughout Great Britain has decreased 43,000. But while some have declined, others have increased in number. Of private riding and carriage-horses (where only one is kept) there has been a decrease of 12,000, and of ponies, 700. Stage-coach horses have declined 4000; post-horses, 2500; horses used in husbandry, 57,000; breeding mares, 1300; colts, 7000; and horses kept for sale, 500. The London hackney-coach horses, on the other hand, have increased in the same space of time no less than 2000, and so have the draught-horses used in trade, to the extent of 17,000; while those kept by small farmers are 13,000 more, and the race-horses 400 more, than they were in 1840.

Of carriages, those having two wheels, and drawn by one horse (gigs, &c.), have decreased 15,000, and the post-chaises 700; whereas the four-wheel carriages, drawn by one horse, and let to hire (broughams, clarences, &c.), have increased 6000, the pony-phaetons 3000, pony-chaises 2000, and the chaise-carts 19,000.

The total revenue derived from the transit of this country, by means of carriages and horses, amounted in 1848 to upwards of 1,190,000l. This sum is made up of the following items:—

Duty oncarriages£434,334
„horses395,041
„horses let to hire155,721
„stage-carriages96,218
„hackney-coaches28,926
Licenses to let horses to hire6,968
„stage-coaches9,606
„hackney-carriages435
£1,127,249

From the foregoing accounts, then, it would appear, that the number of carriages and horses for the use of the public throughout Great Britain, two years ago, was as follows:

Job carriages500
Broughams, clarences, flies, &c. drawn by one horse30,000
Pony-phaetons and pair2,000
Post-chaises5,500
Total carriages let to hire38,000
Job horses1,750
Post horses8,500
Stage-coach horses9,600
London hackney-coach horses3,600
Total horses for public carriages23,450

The Carrying Trade.

The next part of the subject that presents itself is the conveyance of goods from one part of the metropolis to another. This, as I have before said, is chiefly effected by vans, waggons, carts, drays, &c. It has already been shown that the number of carriers’ waggons, throughout Great Britain, in 1848, was 1,250, while the carriers’ carts were no less than 1,700 odd, or very nearly 3000 in all. This was 800 more than they were in 1840.