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A TREATISE ON ROADS.

abuse the trust reposed in them. In the case ofroads, the circumstance of the funds for maintain-ing them being derived from tolls should make nodifference, and the trustees should be equally liablewith those who have the management of estates tobe brought before this court. But this remedywould not be sufficiently easy and efficacious. Amore direct and ready course of proceeding wouldbe to allow complaints against trustees to be broughtby petition before the judges at assizes. Thejudges should be empowered to try, with a jury,the allegations contained in the petitions ; and incase of a verdict in favour of the petitioners, thejudges should be enabled to set aside the trustees,and name commissioners to take charge of the roadfor as long a period as they might think advisable.

In order to afford further protection to the pub-lic against the misconduct of trustees, the House of Commons ought not to allow turnpike bills tobe passed as a matter of course. A particular setof standing orders should be framed for the purposeof keeping such persons in check. No bill shouldbe allowed to be read a first time in the House of Commons , for renewing an act, until after a selectcommittee had been appointed to examine minutelyinto the state of the road, and into the accounts ofit; and time should be allowed for petitions to bepresented to the House against the bill, and forhaving the allegations contained in them fully ex-amined.

But in addition to the measures now proposed,however well adapted they may be for putting the