Star.
London, England, 1830-12-03 00:00:00

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE HOI'SE OF

COMMONS, ON HACKNEY COACHES.

The Report of the Committee of the House of Commons, appointed
In the last Session of Parliament, to ascertain the state of the Hackney.
coach Establishment, contains some curious information. he wit-
tresses examined by the Committee consisted of the various classes con-
nected with the concern, from the Commissioner of the Hackney-coach
Office, to the inspector of coaches; and from him through numerous
hackney-men and cab proprietors. down to the humble driver of a cab.
Let it not, however, be supposed, that the cab conrcrn, itself, is mean ;
foe one of the proprietors of a lot of these vehicles is described in the
printed evidence, as an esquire; and, is understood to be, no less a
personage than a son of a prominent hlemberof Parliament.
WOW the testimony of all the witnesses examined on the subject, it
would seem that the business of the old sort of hackney carriages was,
on the whole, a losing concern. The inspector of hackney-catches
stated it, WOO wt tW04,00. no fewer than 400 cosh Roman bad.,
from distress, been revofed-or resigned ; yet, from other official eel.
dence, it appears, there are constant applications for plates. This paradox
is thus explained by Edward Jesse, Esq. one of the commissioners :
" A gentleman's servant saves up two or three hundred pounds, and
marries ; he fancies he can do better with a coach than any other man.
and the consequence is, that the workhouses are filled with hackney.
coachmen' wives and children at this moment." As an instance how
little hackney-coaches are at times employed, this gentleman states that
there have been 192 counted on the different stands in Oxford street on

a fine day. The hackney.coachmentexamined.complain, thatsince the cabs
and Bye have come out, they have taken the bread out of their mouths ;"
and one of them who had been reduced to drive one of his own coaches,
says he has " seen at the Hone Guards Woe 15 cabs hired in a quarter
of an hour, while he was doing nothing." The hackney coach bu%iness,
he declares, Js so bad, that he can only keep a pair of horses, at present,
for each coach.—Another respectable hackney man gives it as his opi-
nion, that there are not many hackney men not insolvent at this time.
Coaches, generally, it appears. are less employed in wet than in fine
weather, because, in wet weather, few persons go out unless they are
obliged. Sunday is reckoned a bad day for cabs, except in summer._
Hackney coaches do better on Sundays than cabs, because they accom-
modate family parties.

The number of hackney coaches and chariots licensed at present, is
1100, besides 165 cabs. An intelligent hackney man calculates that
1000 coaches, chariots, and cabs, are sufficient to perform all the work
on the stones. He admits, at the same time, that it Is the general
opinion of the trade, that another sort of reduction would be as beneficial
to themselves as to the public—a reduction of the fares.
The duty payable on hackney coaches is 33,0001. a-year. It is col.
lected monthly, and often with great difficulty, on account of the narrow
circumstances of the hackney men ; fot many of them, Mr. Jesse says,
have to support eight or ten people from one pair of plates. This setts
tleman puts the profits of a cab, which, from the tenor of other
evidence, appears to be the most profitable kind of hackney ve-
hicle in use, at about 1001. a-year ; and he thinks the driver gets
as much.

For the benefit of those concerned in -carriage-keeping, and horse.
flesh, a useful detail of the economy of hackney.coach establishments
might be collected from the evidence reviewed. A brief abstract must,
however, here suffice. The establishment se a hackney-coach would,
according to one estimate, cost about 701.—that is, 301. for the coach,
101. each for three horses, 51. for harness, and 51. for stable utensils,
Re. The keep of the horses about 351. a year each. The returns of
the coachmen appear incredibly small. One hackney-man says,—A
hackney brings in only 10s. a day, while the out-goings are 15s. A
candid cab-driver, who has been employed by Mr. Roe from the time
he began to have cabs, states that he earns 30a. a day, on an average,
and pays his employer 255. at present, that is, in summer, and In bad
weather 17e. 185. or 19s. making for himself, at this time of the year,
a day.
Mr. Jesse says, be thinks a cab costs about GOL and four horses from
151. to 201. each, and two sets of harness, making about 1501. The
keep of horses he estimates at about 351. each.
Mr. F. Roe, who has been proprietor of ten cabs for two years, em-
barked, he says. 2,3001. in the concern, and bas obtained no profit.
He has 21 cabs to work the 10 liceises, and be keeps 43 horses, which
cost him 20 guineas each, and nine men, whose expense amounts to
5001. a-year ; his total receipts ftom July 1828,.. to April 1890,
8,4901. Twenty-five shillings a day is what be expects from a driver.
All above he allows the men ; but sometimes they do not bring nearly
so much.

Mr. W. Bulnois, who purchased seven cabs and 14 or 10 horses,
with their harness, &c. of Benjamin Botch, Esq. far 240 L says they
were not worth the money, but he bought them an account of the
plates. At present he has 18 cabs and 70 horses, for which the total
outlay has been 4,0001. He maintains 13 helpers. and pays 201. a.
year rent for his premises, and 2,8001. for horse. help. Be estimates
his stock depreciated in value about 2,0001. bis gross profits for Bred
years and a half, to March 1830, at 7801. and his net profits during
that time, something less than 4,0001.
Robert Fitzgerald, Esq. has had, for two years, 28 cab licenses, and
keeps 34 cabs, of which 14 are'new. He embarked about 4,0001. in the
business. He calculates his expenses at about 0,0001. a year, or
11. 4s. id. a day, for each cab ; and believes that he his sustained a loss
of about 3401. Hackney coachmen buy his worn out horses, for M. or
71. each.

Mr. G. Shinnies., Is proprietor of six omnibusses. lie gives for his
horses from 251. to 301. SM. and even 401. each. Re Mies with three
hones abreast, in each carnage, and thinks that three horses in that
style are equal to four in the usual way " being' placed so near
their work."

Besides the above, and similar statements relative to the hackney
trade, the evidence consists of others, respecting the functi.ms of the
Hackney-coach Office, and the advantages of appeal to that, in com-
parison with the Police Offices, for the adjustment of disputes with
hackney coachmen.

. .„
The case of Garland v. Jekyll, alluded to by Lord Wyn-
ford, in his speech on Tuesday night, was an action by thepLintlE,
the Lord of a manor in Rene: against the defendant, she wait the ix.
ecutor of die late Slr Charts. Sunbury, of sporting celebrity. Sir C.
Banbury was copyhold tenant to 14 different ,:hares, 'which bad for-
merly belonged to 14 different tenant, but which were untied in his pos-
session, Originally the shares had belonged to two tenants, but in the
cootie of descent became diiided into 14 share.. NVltirt so divided, en
the death of each tenant, his heir wad called on to pay a halm (the best
horse its the that
of the tenant) in respect of the property to which
he sufteeded- I so that Weis Were 14 hones -payable ler the 14 shares.
The casks at length were oohed in the possessions( eh Charlie Bus-
buly, Mid on his dead' the' plaintiff claimed 14 heriots in the same
way' as if the property still Inied divided anwhg" 14 testiness. The
celebrated race-hope Smolensk° was ewe,/ *horses originally claimed
as one of the keit herlial brit it was 'head that the base tot. ang on
the property at the time the darn' yid lidids.isaidS but hb'alleard—
The case was tried in „...,azdt.......tavollbe Dada; and the'
Jury 'Coin% i'veidlet'fee " sakiest to the Gib* of the Court
on the question, witatlnk of intim tidbit* store
than two Fieriest, which he temddbail dempaded when tbs. land went
I kaki 'hid& to the piasealiceof the two tenants in 1104. The
judgment of the QIN was vd divered by • laud Writer& then Chief
Jtwice Hat, snit hg the wean for the plabstif, but wetly for tw• of
the berms, which bad been wird aa bedew. The value of the banes
bad been asteetained to be Islll.

16
fft `.17; 422.4 a.
.1114144.741:
TR P TURF. 1 gt;l4s*t y
STATE OF THE ODDS.—BETTING ROOM; u;:
te.va
TERM

11 to 1 agst Lord Sligo's Bras-de-Fee
15 to 1 Mr. Chifney's Caleb
16 to 1 Mr. Beardsworth'e Cohoick
18 to I Lord Exeter's Bohemian
20 to I Varennes
ft to 1 Lord Jersey's Fillagree
25 to I Lord Exeter's Hams
IS to 1 Duke of Grafton's Pastille
23 to I ---- Lord Jersey'. Camels
30 to I Sir J. Shelley', Crewsida
30 to 1 Udity's Atmore
33 to 1 Philip
50 to I Sister to Bull Dig (~.ken).
50n to 4ro betted nn Pigmy agst Tam O'Shinter.
nag,.
S to I on the field.
It. LIG ell
12 to 1, on the field.
500 betted on Zany agst Bras de.Fer. and Cirevisian separately if
nominated.
The above were the odds offered, hut very little wa. di jug.

ASHDOWN PARK COURSING 3IEP.TING.
Tie Cup anti Guinea■ (eight brace of dogs), won by Mr. Wykl*:. P •.
ginatda, kitting Mr. Brow e% ltugle.
The Daily Stakes of 3 stns. each (eight subscribers), acre uou I,y
Mr. Lawrence's Limed.

The Oak Stakes of 3 sors. each (16 subscribers), were won by Mr.
Harries's Hilarity.
The Craven Stakes of 2 sors. each (eight subscribers) were won by
Mr. Reed's Roebuck.
The Ashdown Puppy Stakes were won by Mr. Reed's Reticule.
The Lambourn All-aged Stakes were won by 31r. Ilesketh's Hap.
hazard.

ABSTRACT OF CIVIL AND MILITARY OFFICEc,
WITH SALARIES OF ONE THOUSAND POUNI)i
PER ANNUM. AND UPWARDS.

II TYI3 THI SALARISS Or orricass Or TUB SOUSE or lORD4 AND THR
COURT 01P COMMON ?LIRAS MIA MOT INCLUDEIN
Officers of the Home of Commas ....... £ i9.nig
Judicial

Civil

Diplomatic and Consular
Naval and Military
Colonial
[2:066,574
Enjoyed by 993 persons, avenging 41,081 each. Of which are
161 having £2,500 and under £5,000 per annum.
44 " 5,000 44 10,000
11 above £lO,OOO.
The above 216 persona have amongst them £916,807, averaging
£4,429 each.

PitiCl t-' :31,, Eh AT FOUR O'CLOCK.
Pink Stock, 2024 i India Stock,
:t 1.1 r Cent. lied. ine 1 4 4 • India Ronda 51
3 n, r Ct. Cons. shut . South Sea Stock
31 re, Cr. 181$. 904 All Annuities 5)4
:.ft pet Ct. Ii rd. !IN i 1 .€lOOO Each. Bills 111 14 17
at rvr Cert. N..w, shut ; terstli Ditto
I pr. It. 1826, 984 4 .1100 and £2OO Do.
1., no Ann. 17 1-10 Atlvertiacd
Do. 30 Yrs, Apl. Ik'. lntlia for Acct.
Do. 341 Yrs, July Jan. 174 3.16 I' . fnr Ace. 112 4

FOREIGN FUNDS, TWO O'CLOCK.
Rih. 3 .. Rom Ms. b per Ct.
Do. Ace. Ditto Ace. 931
Port. Bond*, R perCt.43i Do. 111, 94
Plus* Bonds,!) p Ct. 94 Sp. Bd.. b per CL 13i

IHITISH AND
.I.,IIIEIGN :014111ES. TWO ()CLOCK.

~.14Aut. !AIM MK SMARR.
&lanes 150 150 165
Brazilian Imp. (i 44 .1:5 pm.) 35 20
Ditto National 25 15 26
Provincial Bank of Ireland 100 25 256
Vert India 172
United Mexican (irs. at 2 pm.) 40 396 116
Protector 20 2 Al 7e 6d
Alliance 100 10 8i
Anglo Mexican (lea. at 5 pm.) 100 100 30
London
Mobs
Van Dictum's !And Agricultural 100

11

ea -
156

CI "RN-EXCHANGE, MARX-LANK, Dsc. 3.
We have but few fresh arrivals of Wheat, and the trade (which is
moderate) is chiefly in Foreign Corn, and the prices continue full as
high as on Monday. The Barley market is very heavy, at our last.
named terms, and the major part of the sales effected is with the distil.
lens. Oats remain steady in price, the demand being small. Peas and
Beans are but little in request, at former prices.

IMPORTATION* SIMI NOIDAT.
tisitat, English (qrs.) - 2,250 Barley, Foreign .
frith . Oats, English
Foreign - . - 3,100 Irish -
Barley, English . - 2,51101 Foreign -
Irish - I Flour (seeks)

. 800
. 4.90

- 360
2,360

COAL-EXCHANGE, Dic. S.

Ships arrived during this mond; 2
During the week
Best Wallsend Coals
:I nher sorts .
Ships at Market, 406.

TH K EVENING STAR.