The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-14 00:00:00

[NEW TIMES.]

The Select Committee appointed to inquire
into the Receipts, Expenditure, and Management
of the several Turnpike Trusts within Tea Miles
of London, presented to the House of Commons,
before the close of the Session, a Report de-
cidedly recommending that the trusts in the
county of Middlesex (16 in number) should be
consolidated under one Act of Parliament, and
conducted by one uniform system of management.
In our paper of Jan. 22, 1824, we gave 3 Tables,
extracted with much labour, from Parliamentary
documents, shewing the number of miles of road
in each county, the annual average of income
per mile in each county for the years 1818, 1819,
and 1820, and the annual average of expenditure
for the same period ; and we subjoined Some
general remarks of our own on this branch of
po-
litical economy. The extent of the turnpike
roads in England and Wales, at that time, was
24,531 miles, and the total income, which more
than covered the expenditure, was 1,008,2901.
The expense of roads and bridges to the French
Government, in 1824, was 1.166.666/. with which
sum only about 20,000 English miles were
maintained ; so that the whole expenditure
of England and Wales taken together was
more economical than that of France. Still it
was burthened with a debt of 5,200,4901., and
in some part of the country the tolls were wholly
inadequate to the expense, whilst in others they
afforded a considerable surplus. The County of
Middlesex appeared by the Reports of that pe-
riod to have 157 miles of road, with an average
income of 6081. per mile, and an average expen-
diture of 5481., leaving a surplus of 601. per mile.
Among the minutes of evidence annexed to the
present Report is a letter from Messrs. M'. dam
and Cook, who estimate the necessary expellee
of maintaining these roads, if once put into a
state of perfect repair, as follows :
" For one mile next the stones, per annum - £5OO
•` One-half of the remaining distance.per mile, per ann. 350
" The other half, per ann. - - - 250"
Supposing these statements and estimates to be
correct, it is self-evident that not only the
debts of the different trusts might be soon
paid off, but the toll might be considerably
and safely reduced.—The present Committee
observe, that many of the accounts of the ex-
isting trusts were found to be in a very con-
fused state They admit that the roads are better
kept now than they were previously to tin- first
Parliamentary inquiry in 1819 ; but much (they
say) is still to be done ; the income raised, if
skilfully applied, would soon place the roads in
perfect repair, greatly educe the debts, and
lower the tolls. The best material (whinstone)
the Committee assert, is little used in the vici-
nity of London ; the drainage requires to he
conducted on a more comprehensive and uni-
form scale. Some trusts defray the watching and
lighting*, and others, the paving of certain streets,
out of the tolls, all which expenses properly be.
long to the parish mites. These compromises
and arrangements the Committee disapprove of ;
'and - they also think, that the debt is in many
instances at too high a rate of interest, and
that the' eXpences are unnecessarily augment.
ed by the very small extent of the separate

trusts, which occasions a vexatious multiplicity of
gates. Such are the principal statements of the
Committee. Whether any of the local trustees
contest the accuracy of the information on which
the Report is grounded, we know not ; but if
the above representation is admitted to be cor-
rect, it will be difficult not to come to the con-
clusion suggested in the Report.