Looking to the result of these services as affecting the community at large; the increase of comfort, convenience and safety to the Public generally; the diminution of expense in the wear and tear of carriages of all descriptions; the reduction of horse-labour, and consequent expense of horses; the relief the oppressive burthen of the poor rates, by the additional means created for employing the surplus labouring population of the encumbered parishes; the abolition in many instances of a great part, and in some, of the whole of the statute duty complained of by the agriculturists, and the very essential benefit to the agricultural, commercial and manufacturing classes, by the more easy and equal diffusion of the produce of the soil over the various parts of the kingdom; the free as well as rapid circulation of commercial capital, thereby adding greatly to the national wealth and prosperity which this system has materially contributed to effect; the Committee cannot hesitate to express their opinion, in concurrence with that already pronounced by the Heads of the Department of the Post Office, that the sum of 2,000l. or 2,500l., in addition to his expenses, to be calculated after the same rate of allowance as is granted by that office to the Surveyor or Superintendent of Mailcoaches, will be but a moderate compensation to Mr. MᶜAdam for his great exertions and very valuable services.
The Committee, with a view to abridge the Appendix, have omitted to include several testimonials forwarded to them from different innkeepers and postmasters, stating the advantages they have derived from the improvement of the roads under Mr. MᶜAdam’s system; but which tend to confirm the general opinion favourable to the system.
It appears that Mr. MᶜAdam has held, from the year 1816 to the present time, and now holds, the situation of general surveyor of the Bristol Turnpike Roads at a salary, the first year, of 400l. and each subsequent year, of 500l.; but taking into consideration, that out of his annual salary 200l. is for expenses incident to his Office, the remaining sum of 300l. is, in the opinion of this Committee, not more than an adequate payment for the constant and laborious duties attached to the situation, and cannot, or ought not, to be considered as constituting any remuneration to Mr. MᶜAdam for his other distinct and important services.
It further appears, that the three sons of Mr. MᶜAdam are employed as general surveyors upon various lines of road in different parts of the Kingdom; that they have been and are competitors with all other road surveyors, over whom they possess no other advantage than such as their superior intelligence, skill and industry entitle them to, having no exclusive or preferable privilege whatever; that they have improved, and at the same time have very considerably reduced the expense upon almost all the roads under their management; and that their incomes, when diminished by the necessary disbursements and payments to the persons acting under them, and their own expenses, cannot be deemed too large a sum for their own individual services; but, on the contrary, that they have returned to the Public for the amount of their gains a fair and full measure of benefit, by the personal activity, skill and labour so conspicuous in the management of the roads, and the funds of the trusts under their superintendence; that two of the three had relinquished situations of profit to afford their aid in giving effect to and carrying the system into execution, and are justly entitled to the fruits of their industry, and hard-earned incomes, without the participation of any other person; and it does not appear that the Petitioner has profited in any manner from the salaries allowed to his sons.
With respect to the petition of Mr. Wingrove, referred to your Committee, it appears, from the Petitioner’s own statement, that his object is a compensation for services which he considers himself individually to have rendered to the public, a claim which your Committee can neither investigate nor entertain, being foreign to the object of their inquiry; and no part of Mr. Wingrove’s statement appearing, in the opinion of your Committee, to affect the system of Mr. MᶜAdam, or impeach his claim to a remuneration for services performed, they feel it necessary only to present his evidence without further remark.
In like manner, and with the same observation, they may dismiss the petition of Mr. Lester, between the comparative merit of whose literary productions with those of Mr. MᶜAdam, and whether Mr. MᶜAdam has “infringed upon his literary property,” your Committee are not called upon to determine; nor is it within their province to pronounce an opinion upon the degree of merit belonging to Mr. Lester for the construction of the various models of machines exhibited to your Committee, and alleged by Mr. Lester to be applicable to, and useful for, the improvement of roads.
In conclusion, your Committee desire to state it as their opinion, that the value of Mr. MᶜAdam’s system, and consequently of his services, by no means appears to its full extent upon the roads under the immediate management of himself, or of his sons; but that the effect produced upon a considerable portion of the roads generally throughout the Kingdom, since the adoption of his system, has been manifest, and, as your Committee conceive, too apparent to escape the most common or indifferent observer; and further, that it must be obvious, from past experience, that a system from which so much good has been already derived, would, if extended over the whole face of the Kingdom, be productive of the most beneficial consequences both to the condition of the roads, and in effecting a reduction of the amount of the present enormous and improvident expenditure.
Your Committee would therefore strongly recommend to the House the consideration of the subject of making and managing the roads of the Kingdom in the course of the ensuing Session of Parliament, feeling convinced that whatever plausible appearance the plan may assume of appointing a large number of noblemen, gentlemen, farmers, and tradesmen, Commissioners of Roads, that the practice has everywhere been found to be at variance with the supposed efficiency of so large a number of irresponsible managers; and that the inevitable consequences of a continuance of this defective system will be, to involve the different trusts deeper in debt, and leave the roads without funds to preserve them in proper order.
Your Committee cannot close their Report without directing the attention of the House to that part of Mr. James MᶜAdam’s evidence, in which he states the practicability of converting the pavement of the streets of London into smooth and substantial roads; and your Committee have the satisfaction to inform the House that the experiment is about to be tried in two very different and distinct parts of the Metropolis, viz. in St. James’s Square, and over Westminster Bridge and its boundary. This most desirable improvement has, as appears from the evidence of Mr. MᶜAdam, senior, and from that of Mr. William MᶜAdam, already been tried, and completely succeeded (as is well known to many members of the House) both at Bristol and Exeter, and is in progress of execution upon the paved ways in the county of Lancaster.
The benefit to the inhabitants of this large City by such an important improvement, in all its various advantages of comfort, convenience, and economy, can scarcely be appreciated; and your Committee hope that the plan about to be tried in two separate parts of London will be found so far to succeed as to induce its adoption, at least in all the large streets of the Metropolis, observing, that they believe that it is a plan which Mr. MᶜAdam has for many years urged the adoption of, and, as constituting a part of his system, will be found mentioned in all his publications on the improved system of road-making.