Mr. Walter Henrick.
5 August, 1831.
From what cause do you judge it excessive?—From the short distance which I come; I do not know what length of road I should have had to run before I should have been subject to another toll.
Have you considered the subject whether it would be more equitable to charge the Steam Carriages by horse power or by weight, or by the number of passengers?—I think the fairest way would be in proportion to the number of persons they carried, or in proportion to the weight.
What would you give as the basis of your calculation, considering that the number of persons which the different coaches carry varies from eight to eighteen?—I see no other way, excepting that of the number of passengers, or according to the weight.
Have you made any calculation as to the number of horses that the extension of these Carriages will displace with respect to each stage; what horse power is equivalent to the Carriage that you run?—I take a stage to run 100 miles a day, and I reckon upon the average it would take from 48 to 50 horses for the whole distance; the common average is a horse a mile; but from the information I have endeavoured to get, from what I have gathered, I find it is about 48 or 50; I believe it is to be taken backwards and forwards at a horse a mile.
Would your Carriage displace along the road four horses on each stage?—Two ten-horse Engines would displace the whole number of horses along the stage.
Have you made experiments which enable you to answer these questions?—I was not at all prepared; my principal object bas been to ascertain what power I have to do a certain work; I have paid very little attention to horse power.
Do you think that your Carriage is equivalent to a four-horse Carriage on the road, in the number of persons it would draw?—It is more than equivalent to it, from the circumstance of its being able to do more work.
Supposing you have to run seven miles, how many passengers could you carry at your present speed?—Fourteen.
