post…chaises；　etc。；　is　made　somewhat　higher　in　proportion　to
  their　weight　than　upon　carriages　of　necessary　use；　such　as　carts；
  waggons；　etc。；　the　indolence　and　vanity　of　the　rich　is　made　to
  contribute　in　a　very　easy　manner　to　the　relief　of　the　poor；　by
  rendering　cheaper　the　transportation　of　heavy　goods　to　all　the
  different　parts　of　the　country。
  When　high　roads；　bridges；　canals；　etc。；　are　in　this　manner
  made　and　supported　by　the　commerce　which　is　carried　on　by　means
  of　them；　they　can　be　made　only　where　that　commerce　requires　them；
  and　consequently　where　it　is　proper　to　make　them。　Their　expenses
  too；　their　grandeur　and　magnificence；　must　be　suited　to　what　that
  commerce　can　afford　to　pay。　They　must　be　made　consequently　as　it
  is　proper　to　make　them。　A　magnificent　high　road　cannot　be　made
  through　a　desert　country　where　there　is　little　or　no　commerce；　or
  merely　because　it　happens　to　lead　to　the　country　villa　of　the
  intendant　of　the　province；　or　to　that　of　some　great　lord　to　whom
  the　intendant　finds　it　convenient　to　make　his　court。　A　great
  bridge　cannot　be　thrown　over　a　river　at　a　place　where　nobody
  passes；　or　merely　to　embellish　the　view　from　the　windows　of　a
  neighbouring　palace：　things　which　sometimes　happen　in　countries
  where　works　of　this　kind　are　carried　on　by　any　other　revenue　than
  that　which　they　themselves　are　capable　of　affording。
  In　several　different　parts　of　Europe　the　ton　or　lock…duty
  upon　a　canal　is　the　property　of　private　persons；　whose　private
  interest　obliges　them　to　keep　up　the　canal。　If　it　is　not　kept　in
  tolerable　order；　the　navigation　necessarily　ceases　altogether；
  and　along　with　it　the　whole　profit　which　they　can　make　by　the
  tolls。　If　those　tolls　were　put　under　the　management　of
  commissioners；　who　had　themselves　no　interest　in　them；　they　might
  be　less　attentive　to　the　maintenance　of　the　works　which　produced
  them。　The　canal　of　Languedoc　cost　the　King　of　France　and　the
  province　upwards　of　thirteen　millions　of　livres；　which　（at
  twenty…eight　livres　the　mark　of　silver；　the　value　of　French　money
  in　the　end　of　the　last　century）　amounted　to　upwards　of　nine
  hundred　thousand　pounds　sterling。　When　that　great　work　was
  finished；　the　most　likely　method；　it　was　found；　of　keeping　it　in
  constant　repair　was　to　make　a　present　of　the　tolls　to　Riquet　the
  engineer；　who　planned　and　conducted　the　work。　Those　tolls
  constitute　at　present　a　very　large　estate　to　the　different
  branches　of　the　family　of　that　gentleman；　who　have；　therefore；　a
  great　interest　to　keep　the　work　in　constant　repair。　But　had　those
  tolls　been　put　under　the　management　of　commissioners；　who　had　no
  such　interest；　they　might　perhaps　have　been　dissipated　in
  ornamental　and　unnecessary　expenses；　while　the　most　essential
  parts　of　the　work　were　allowed　to　go　to　ruin。
  The　tolls　for　the　maintenance　of　a　high　road　cannot　with　any
  safety　be　made　the　property　of　private　persons。　A　high　road；
  though　entirely　neglected；　does　not　become　altogether　impassable；
  though　a　canal　does。　The　proprietors　of　the　tolls　upon　a　high
  road；　therefore；　might　neglect　altogether　the　repair　of　the　road；
  and　yet　continue　to　levy　very　nearly　the　same　tolls。　It　is
  proper；　therefore；　that　the　tolls　for　the　maintenance　of　such　a
  work　should　be　put　under　the　management　of　commissioners　or
  trustees。
  In　Great　Britain；　the　abuses　which　the　trustees　have
  committed　in　the　management　of　those　tolls　have　in　many　cases
  been　very　justly　complained　of。　At　many　turnpikes；　it　has　been
  said；　the　money　levied　is　more　than　double　of　what　is　necessary
  for　executing；　in　the　completest　manner；　the　work　which　is　often
  executed　in　very　slovenly　manner；　and　sometimes　not　executed　at
  all。　The　system　of　repairing　the　high　roads　by　tolls　of　this
  kind；　it　must　be　observed；　is　not　of　very　long　standing。　We
  should　not　wonder；　therefore；　if　it　has　not　yet　been　brought　to
  that　degree　of　perfection　of　which　it　seems　capable。　If　mean　and
  improper　persons　are　frequently　appointed　trustees；　and　if　proper
  courts　of　inspection　and　account　have　not　yet　been　established
  for　controlling　their　conduct；　and　for　reducing　the　tolls　to　what
  is　barely　sufficient　for　executing　the　work　to　be　done　by　them；
  the　recency　of　the　institution　both　accounts　and　apologizes　for
  those　defects；　of　which；　by　the　wisdom　of　Parliament；　the　greater
  part　may　in　due　time　be　gradually　remedied。
  The　money　levied　at　the　different　turnpikes　in　Great　Britain
  is　supposed　to　exceed　so　much　what　is　necessary　for　repairing　the
  roads；　that　the　savings；　which；　with　proper　economy；　might　be
  made　from　it；　have　been　considered；　even　by　some　ministers；　as　a
  very　great　resource　which　might　at　some　time　or　another　be
  applied　to　the　exigencies　of　the　state。　Government；　it　has　been
  said；　by　taking　the　management　of　the　turnpikes　into　its　own
  hands；　and　by　employing　the　soldiers；　who　would　work　for　a　very
  small　addition　to　their　pay；　could　keep　the　roads　in　good　order
  at　a　much　less　expense　than　it　can　be　done　by　trustees；　who　have
  no　other　workmen　to　employ　but　such　as　derive　their　whole
  subsistence　from　their　wages。　A　great　revenue；　half　a　million
  perhaps；*　it　has　been　pretended；　might　in　this　manner　be　gained
  without　laying　any　new　burden　upon　the　people；　and　the　turnpike
  roads　might　be　made　to　contribute　to　the　general　expense　of　the
  state；　in　the　same　manner　as　the　post　office　does　at　present。
  *　Since　publishing　the　two　first　editions　of　this　book；　I　have
  got　good　reasons　to　believe　that　all　the　turnpike　tolls　levied　in
  Great　Britain　do　not　produce　a　net　revenue　that　amounts　to　half　a
  million；　a　sum　which；　under　the　management　of　Government；　would
  not　be　sufficient　to　keep　in　repair　five　of　the　principal　roads
  in　the　kingdom。
  That　a　considerable　revenue　might　be　gained　in　this　manner　I
  have　no　doubt；　though　probably　not　near　so　much　as　the　projectors
  of　this　plan　have　supposed。　The　plan　itself；　however；　seems
  liable　to　several　very　important　objections。
  First；　if　the　tolls　which　are　levied　at　the　turnpikes　should
  ever　be　considered　as　one　of　the　resources　for　supplying　the
  exigencies　of　the　state；　they　would　certainly　be　augmented　as
  those　exigencies　were　supposed　to　require。　According　to　the
  policy　of　Great　Britain；　therefore；　they　would　probably　be
  augmented　very　fast。　The　facility　with　which　a　great　revenue
  could　be　drawn　from　them　would　probably　encourage　administration
  to　recur　very　frequently　to　this　resource。　Though　it　may；
  perhaps；　be　more　than　doubtful　whether　half　a　million　could　by
  any　economy　be　saved　out　of　the　present　tolls；　it　can　scarce　be
  doubted　but　that　a　million　might　be　saved　out　of　them　if　they
  were　doubled：　and　perhaps　two　millions　if　they　were　tripled。*
  This　great　revenue；　too；　might　be　levied　without　the　appointment
  of　a　single　new　officer　to　collect　and　receive　it。　But　the
  turnpike　tolls　being　continually　augmented　in　this　manner；
  instead　of　facilitating　the　inland　commerce　of　the　country　as　at
  present；　would　soon　become　a　very　great　incumbrance　upon　it。　The
  expense　of　transporting　all　heavy　goods　from　one　part　of　the
  country　to　another　would　soon　be　so　much　increased；　the　market
  for　all　such　goods；　consequently；　would　soon　be　so　much　narrowed；
  that　their　production　would　be　in　a　great　measure　discouraged；
  and　the　most　important　branches　of　the　domestic　industry　of　the
  country　annihilated　altogether。　　　　*　I　have　now　good　reasons　to
  believe　that　all　these　conjectural　sums　are　by　much　too　large。
  Secondly；　a　tax　upon　carriages　in　proportion　to　their
  weight；　though　a　very　equal　tax　when　applied　to　the　sole　purpose
  of　repairing　the　roads；　is　a　very　unequal　one　when　applied　to　any
  other　purpose；　or　to　supply　the　common　exigencies　of　the　state。
  When　it　is　applied　to　the　sole　purpose　above　mentioned；　each
  carriage　is　supposed　to　pay　exactly　for　the　wear　and　tear　which
  that　carriage　occasions　of　the　roads。　But　when　it　is　applied　to
  any　other　purpose；　each　carriage　is　supposed　to　pay　for　more　than
  that　wear　and　tear；　and　contributes　to　the　supply　of　some　other
  exigency　of　the　state。　But　as　the　turnpike　toll　raises　the　price
  of　goods　in　proportion　to　their　weight；　and　not　to　their　value；
  it　is　chiefly　paid　by　the　consumers　of　coarse　and　bulky；　not　by
  those　of　precious　and　light；　commodities。　Whatever　exigency　of
  the　state　therefore　this　tax　might　be　intended　to　supply；　that
  exigency　would　be　chiefly　supplied　at　the　expense　of　the　poor；
  not　the　rich；　at　the　expense　of　those　who　are　least　able　to
  supply　it；　not　of　those　who　are　most　able。
  Thirdly；　if　government　should　at　any　time　neglect　the
  reparation　of　the　high　roads；　it　would　be　still　more　difficult
  than　it　is　at　present　to　compel　the　proper　application　of　any
  part　of　the　turnpike　tolls。　A　large　revenue　might　thus　be　levied
  upon　the　people　without　any　part　of　it　being　applied　to　the　only
  purpose　to　which　a　revenue　levied　in　this　manner　ought　ever　to　be
  app