Private Carriages.

Within this town and its immediate vicinity there are more than fifty carriages, of different descriptions, on four wheels, and upwards of three hundred on two wheels, that pay the duty.

The number of hackney coaches that ply in the streets is twelve, under the following regulated fares.

Hackney Coach Fares.
Under one mile .................. 1    6
1 mile and under 1-1/2 .......... 2    0
1-1/2 mile and under 2 .......... 3    0
2 miles and under 2-1/2 ......... 4    0
2-1/2 miles and under 3 ......... 5    0
3 miles and under 3-1/2 ......... 6    0
3-1/2 miles and under 4 ......... 7    0

An extra half fare if carrying more than four persons.

Time.

For every forty minutes, one shilling, and for every twenty minutes afterwards, six-pence in addition.  If employed, or kept in waiting, betwixt the hours of twelve o’clock at night and five o’clock in the morning, double the above fares are allowed.

The late Mr. Baskerville, whose printed works are in such high estimation, both for paper and print, resided at a place called Easy Hill, at that time quite distant from the town; the house being encircled by an extensive paddock.  At this place he erected a mill for the making of paper, in which article he excelled all his contemporaries, as he also did in the formation of his types, which, to the disgrace of this country, were permitted to be sold into France.  This once delightful spot is now surrounded with buildings, the house wherein he resided is converted into a manufactory, and the land into wharfs.

About twenty yards above the statue in honour of Lord Nelson, there was within memory the market cross, from whence the roads in every direction were measured; but from some cause or other, that custom has been altered, and it is difficult to say from what part of the town some of the roads are now measured; for example, the road to Walsall.  This road having been considerably shortened and improved, is now considered to be eight miles distant:  (it was some years back, ten miles); but from the centre of one town to that of the other, will measure nine miles; and whoever travels that road must very justly pay for that distance.

The road to Stourbridge and Kidderminster is another instance where the mile stones are not to be depended upon; for the one mile stone on that road is considerably more than that distance from the centre of the town.

The horse roads round this town were, within memory, from the rains, constant wear, and no repair, worn into such hollow ways, that in some instances, particularly in Bordesley, a waggon, when loaded with hay, the top of it was not so high as the foot path on the side:  it was at one time fifty-eight feet below the surface.  There are still remaining two specimens of the old roads, but they have been for many years useless, except in going to the adjacent grounds.  One of