House of Commons, Great Britain

“ If the breadth of the tire of the wheels of Steam Carriages could be extended to six inches, might they not in many states of the roads be rather beneficial than injurious?—Where the road is properly made of good materials and well consolidated, the mere pressure of a Carriage would not have any effect. ”

“ What is the nature of the injury done to roads by the travelling of Carriages and horses?—By the horses chiefly by tearing up the surface with their shoes; I do not consider that the pressure of the wheels upon a good made road is nearly so injurious to the road as the tearing up of the road by the horses' feet. ”

“ Supposing that the operation of a Steam Carriage were so perfect that there should be no sliding of the wheels, and that such Steam Carriage were of four tons weight, and also that the joint weight of a coach and horses were four tons travelling at equal velocity and with equal breadth of tire, which do you think would do the least injury to the road?—I should think that the Steam Carriage would do the least injury, but that is not from experience of Steam Carriages, but only from my general information, always taking for granted that there is no projection outside the wheel. ”