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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
109
Arrived
at
the
end
of
the
century,
we
find
the
mail-coach
system
is
now
an
institution
in
the
country.
Other
interests
had
progressed
at
an
equal
rate.
Travelling,
as
a
rule,
had
become
easy
and
pleasant.
Not
that
the
service
was
performed
without
any
difficulty
or
hindrance.
On
the
contrary--and
it
enters
within
the
scope
of
our
present
object
to
advert
to
them--the
obstacles
to
anything
like
a
perfect
system
seemed
insurmountable.
Though
the
difficulties
consequent
on
travelling,
at
the
beginning
of
the
present
century,
were
comparatively
trifling
on
the
principal
post-roads,
yet,
when
new
routes
were
chosen,
or
new
localities
were
designed
to
share
in
the
common
benefits
of
the
new
and
better
order
of
things
in
the
Post-Office,
these
same
difficulties
had
frequently
to
be
again
got
over.
Cross-roads
in
England
were
greatly
neglected--so
much
so,
in
fact,
that
new
mail-coaches
which
had
been
applied
for
and
granted,
were
often
enough
waiting
idle
till
the
roads
should
be
ready
to
receive
them.
The
Highway
Act
of
1663,
so
far
as
the
roads
in
remote
districts
were
concerned,
was
completely
in
abeyance.
Early
in
the
century
we
find
the
subject
frequently
mentioned
in
Parliament.
As
the
result
of
one
discussion,
it
was
decided
that
every
inducement
should
be
held
out
to
the
different
trusts
to
make
and
repair
the
roads
in
their
respective
localities;
while,
on
the
other
hand,
the
Postmaster-General
was
directed
by
the
Government
to
indict
all
townships
who
neglected
the
duty
imposed
upon
them.
Under
the
Acts
of
7
&
8
George
III.
c.
43,
and
4
George
IV.
c.
74,
commissioners
were
appointed
to
arrange
for
all
necessary
road
improvements,
having
certain
privileges
vested
in
them
for
the
purpose.
Thus,
they
recommended
that
certain
trusts
should
have
loans
granted
to
them,
to
be
employed
in
road-making
and
mending.
Mr.
Telford,
at
his
death,
was
largely
employed
by
the
Road
Commissioners--the
improvements
on
the
Shrewsbury
and
Holyhead
road
being
under
his
entire
superintendence.
And
it
would
seem
that
the
above-mentioned
road
needed
improvement.
When,
in
1808,
a
new
mail-coach
was
put
on
to
run
between
the
two
places,
no
fewer
than
twenty-two
townships
had
to
be
indicted
by
the
Post-Office
authorities
for
having
their
roads
in
a
dangerous
and
unfinished
state.
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