Page:Remarks on the Present System of Road Making (1823).djvu/148

 *nagement, do you not consider that very great advantage would arise from consolidating the different trusts round London, and placing them under an unity of superintendence and regulation?—Certainly so; I think that that would be a measure of the greatest use in the world; and I think that no palliative, no other means whatever can be devised to get the London roads improved, except consolidating the trusts under one head, or one set of commissioners, or some body that shall control the whole; consolidating the roads round London, would be the means probably of great amelioration in the system or manner of mending the roads, and that would serve as an example to other parts of the country, and might be the means of extending improvement in the mode of road-making, and would form a sort of school or example to other parts of the country.

Do you think, upon the same principle that you recommend consolidating trusts round London, it would be advisable that powers should be given to consolidate trusts in different parts of the kingdom?—I should think it very advisable that powers were granted by parliament to such trusts as chose to do it, to consolidate themselves into one body for the purpose of having a better superintendence, or for any other purposes of general improvement; but upon considering the matter very fully, I am of opinion that it would be more profitable that the Legislature should give leave to trusts than that they should make it imperative upon them; it will be absolutely necessary, before any such measure could come into effect, that parliament should not only give this leave, but that they should make the proceedings of the general meeting of those trusts legal, which at present they would not be as the law stands; the nine trusts in Sussex, who have now voluntarily associated together, hold what is considered a general meeting of those trusts; but I by no means think that their proceedings are legal, as the law now stands.

In many cases where the consolidation would be beneficial, do not you consider it would be resisted from local motives?—*