ON RAIL-ROADS.

291

the promulgation of such nonsense. I recom-mend the use of them in proper situations,because, after a daily opportunity of witnes-sing their performance for near eleven years,I think the principle of their action isfounded on good grounds ; and that theywill, ultimately, reach such a state of per-fection, that, by facilitating the conveyanceof goods, at a rate of motion far beyondthe power of horses on canals, they will be ofinfinite advantage to commerce. Their pro-gressive motion is effected with little orno injury to the road: the surface of therails is the only part subjected to their ac-tion ; and these are so durable, that theirwheels has scarcely any effect upon them; andtheir action may thus almost be said not toaffect, or at all injure, the road whereon theytravel: with horses it is different; the actionof their feet alone form a species of expenditureby no means trifling, and which is unknownin the use of loco-motive engines.

We are not to look at these engines intheir present shape and construction, andapply them to purposes, and upon Ra^|-roads,for which, by their action, they are neverintended; they have hitherto been used onlywhere fuel is no object; where, in fact, eco-nomy, in the common acceptation of thet 2