Page:Remarks on the Present System of Road Making (1823).djvu/94

 find the means of surmounting the difficulties, without injustice, or hazardous innovation.

It is obvious, that the formation of this distinct central authority will be best effected by the introduction of a separate Bill, while the plan of empowering the magistrates to appoint county surveyors would naturally form part of a general Bill for amending the laws relating to Turnpike Roads.

Your Committee have weighed, with much attention, the comparative advantages of an attempt to amend these laws by supplemental enactments, and of the comprehensive plan of endeavouring to embody in one Act of Parliament all that is valuable in the old laws, with the addition of such new regulations as are acknowledged to be desirable.

The Committee of 1811 were impressed with the expedience of "combining the old and new regulations into one general code, divided into two branches, one regarding the Highways, and the other regarding Turnpike Roads," though they considered that "it would require more time and labour than those who have not had some experience in the drawing up of such laws can be at all aware of."

Your Committee do not hesitate to avow their opinion, that unless this task, however arduous