“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 labour of the animals. I may add, although so much has been accomplished, the Postmasters General could still expedite the conveyance of the Mails, and bring the arrangement of the Posts nearer to perfection, if the Roads were universally as much improved as the practice of Mr. MᶜAdam’s plan would effect.
(Signed) Cha. Johnson.”
General Post Office, }
Dec. 8, 1819.” }
“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.
(Signed) C. J.”
And the Post Masters General also concluded their Report to the Treasury by observing, “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 has produced the excellent road mentioned by the Superintendent.
“The Road from Newbury, through Reading, to Twyford, has been so much improved, that the Mailcoach 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.”
In February, the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury received a representation from several noblemen and gentlemen, urging in very strong terms the claim of Mr. MᶜAdam to remuneration for the services he had rendered to the Public. This document, as well on account of the grounds upon which the remuneration is stated to have been merited, as also from its having been so numerously and respectively signed, well deserves the attention of the House. Mr. Harrison, by desire of their Lordships, transmitted this certificate with a letter to the Postmasters General; in which, amongst other observations, and alluding to the recommendation in favour of Mr. MᶜAdam before mentioned, he writes as follows:—“These testimonials are of so highly respectable a nature from the station and character of the individuals who have signed them, and are so decisive as to the merit, not only of the system itself, but also of Mr. MᶜAdam’s personal labours and exertions in reducing it into practice; and as to the great advantages which the Public have already derived therefrom on several important lines of road in different parts of the Kingdom, that my Lords could not hesitate a moment in affording to any application, which Mr. MᶜAdam may be advised to make to Parliament for remuneration for these services, their perfect and entire concurrence.”
And the Postmasters General in the same letter are directed, after taking into their consideration these testimonials, together with any subsequent information they may have acquired, to report whether the sum of 2,000l. or any other sum might, in their opinion, be advanced to Mr. MᶜAdam, to relieve him from the difficulties under which he then laboured, and until the pleasure of Parliament shall be obtained; to which the Postmasters General reply by letter of 23d February 1820, in still stronger terms of commendation of the services of Mr. MᶜAdam, stating that “they consider Mr. MᶜAdam’s system of making and repairing roads as deserving of every encouragement, that its beneficial results are acknowledged in every part of the various districts of the country where the trustees of roads have availed themselves of his assistance and suggestions, that he has in the most disinterested manner given every facility to other persons with the same general object; and that the observations of their Surveyor of Mailcoaches, enclosed in their Report of the 20th December, have acquired additional force from the experience of the last two months, in which the mail coaches have had to contend with unusual difficulties; for it has been evident on such parts of roads where Mr. MᶜAdam’s system has been pursued, the public mails have experienced less interruption than where the old system was persisted in; and their Lordships conclude their letter by recommending the advance of 2000l.”