Page:Report from the Select Committee on Steam Carriages.pdf/193

 with the subject as being intended for the same purpose as the original machines, yet, during all these successive alterations, the principle of the machinery remained unchanged. I make these observations to show the difficulty of anticipating the ultimate power and dimensions of locomotive Carriages.

Will you exemplify your proposition as to the payment of tolls, giving 2s. as the amount of the tolls for a Carriage drawn by horses: what amount of tolls should be charged on the two following Steam Carriages, the one Carriage to carry passengers on itself, and to weigh four tons; and supposing in the second, the engine part of the Carriage to be separate, the Engine Carriage and the Carriage drawn weighing together four tons, should a higher amount of toll be chargeable on the one Steam Carriage than the other?—I think not.

Yet the one has four wheels and the other has eight wheels?—My opinion is, that it ought to pay the same tolls it does now, supposing they are of equal weight, the diminution of the horses being taken into account.

Then your proposition would be resolvable into charging tolls by weight?—Of course; I contemplate that a regulation will take place, that only a certain weight shall be placed upon the wheels, and the width of the wheels will come under a regulation.

Then it becomes absolutely a toll on weight?—Not exactly so; I am only stating the limits I think they ought to carry.

In the case stated on the one Steam Carriage carrying the passengers with the Engine, and the second the Engine being placed in a separate Carriage from that containing the passengers, both Carriages being of equal weight, that of four tons; but in the one case there being eight wheels, and in the other only four, would you charge a different amount of toll on those two Carriages?—I would charge in proportion to the weight carried. In stating this I conceive that there should be a maximum weight which Steam Carriages ought not to exceed.