The Sun.
London, England, 1830-04-08 00:00:00

'r 7o

Holyhead mail leaves London at eight in the evening, and
arrives at Holyhead, a distance of 261 miles, at one o'clock
on the second morning.
What is the average rate of travelling ?—lt is exactly
nine miles an hour including all stops ; the contractors
are willing, I believe, to perform the journey in a❑ hour

less.
Have you any clear idea of how much less wear and
tear to horses there is on the Holyhead road than on
others?—From my own observation lam certain there is
no road where horses work with more ease, and where fast
travelling can be carried on with a slighter or cheaper de-
scription of horse.
Has not there been a general diminution of horse labour
over all the great roads ?—I am aware that there has been,
but that has been in consequence of the extremely defec-
tive state of all the roads 10 or 12 years ago ? they still
are all very far from being what they ought to be.
Are you aware whether on the Holyhead road, on the
breaking up of the frost, the mails were much delayed ?
--I have been told that the road from Birmingham to
Wednesbury was very much broken up, and some other
parts, but not to any great extent. I know that no part
of it which has been under the care of the Parliamentary
Commissioners was injured by the frost; those parts of
the road which were injured by the weather are parts
over which the Parliamentary Commissioners have
in point of fact no direct controul; their powers and
proceedings have been confined to the improvement of
particular parts of the road, the rest of the road has re-
mained under the care of the trustees; there are some
districts where the funds of the trustees are but moderate,
and it has not been in their power to make the roads so
strong as to bear such winters as the last. The trustees
have generally done all they could to improve the road,
and they have improved it prodigiously, but still some
parts are very defective because they are too weak ; there
is not a sufficient body of materials laid on to give them
the strength roads ought to have to be able to stand in
such weather as that of the last winter.

Are you aware what interest the increased tolls pay on
the money that has been lent?—lt varies in different cases ;
these additional tolls have been laid on for the purpose of
repaying loans borrowed for particular works, and there is
no general rate of additional toll; but by examining the
accounts which have been laid beinre the House, it would
appear that they bear a very considerable proportion to the
principal; 40,0001. has been repaid out of 54,0001. bor-
rowed from the Exchequer Bill Commissioners ; the first
loan being in the mouth of May, 181 S, and the last in
1823. I calculate at present the amount of additional
tolls applicable to the repayment of loans is 11,0001. per
annum, which makes more than 10 per cent. upon the
balance due.

Have the Parliamentary Commissioners the power of
taking the roads out of the !lauds of the trustees, and doing
what they please with them ?—No, certainly not ; their
powers are very limited ; the power they have of making
surveys, and of calling the attention of the trustees to
them, has chiefly led to the improvements.
In what manner have they the power to take possession
of any particular line of road ?—The course of proceeding
has been to communicate with the trustees concerning each
intended improvement, not making them parties in carry-
ing the improvement into execution, but only that kind of
communication which makes them acquainted with the
views of the Commissioners for the purpose of securing
their concurrence; the inaprovenients have been carried on
the consent of the trustees declared, I believe in all
cases, by their resolutions at regular meetings.
That can be only from the trustees feeling that the Par-
liamentary Commissioners are better able to carry them
into effect than themselves ?—ln the first Acts there was
an arrangement laid out for communication with the
trustees ; they were so far made parties, that the plans
were laid before them for their consent. At first there
was a good deal of jealousy at the interference of the Par-
liamentary Commissioners, and a good deal of difficulty in
carrying on the improvements; but in consequence of the
benefits derived from the improvements by all parties,
pu'ilic as well as local, and of the satisfactory man-
ner in which the works have been executed and
the money applied, the trustees are on the best terms with
the Commissioners, and of late they have been in the habit
of coming forward to ask the Parliamentary Commis-
sioners to undertake new works.
Have the Parliamentary Commissioners any power over
the funds of the different trusts through which they pass,
to apply them to the execution of any works under their
orders?—No, we never had any power over their funds,
and never interfered with them in any way.
Are the funds of the trustees ever applied to the works
carried on by the Parliamentary Commissioners?—The
trustees of the Stratford and Dunehurch road wished an
improvement to be made at Old Stratford, and having a
fund of their man, they proposed to the Parliamentary
Commissioners to vest this fund in their hands to make that
improvement; the proposal was accepted, and the work
has been executed.