There are now under sixteen different omnibus companies in the metropolis, but of distinct companies there are but two, the Richmond and the London Omnibus Company; the others are associations to prevent racing on the roads, and dividing the same. The district fares are regulated more by the amount of population in the district than by competition of tolls. The amount paid in tolls by omnibuses is about 26,000l. a year. The proportion of the whole expense of keeping omnibuses from tolls is five per cent. In two instances, omnibuses communicating with the Regent's-park up the villas into Holloway were taken off on account of the toll-gate. The abolition of the tolls would rather lead to increased accommodation than to a reduction of fares, though in some instances reductions would most probably be made. An omnibus holding 12 inside passengers at 4d. a piece produces 48.; that omnibus passes through a gate on which the charge is 6d.; so that the toll is an eighth part of the receipt.

METROPOLIS ROAD COMMISSION.

The Commission was constituted by Act of Parliament the 7th George IV. c. 142, in 1826. The Commission was also affected by the 10th George IV. c. 59. In 1826 there were 14 trusts. About 130 miles of road were delivered over to the Commission. The Marylebone and Finchley trusts and the New North Road trust are also under the care of the Commissioners, but the parishes repair the roads. The Commissioners are elected under Act of Parliament, and they to some extent represent certain localities. The Commissioners are very anxious to remove the toll-bars, but the doubt whether the parishes would take the road or some part of them, or the doubt whether Parliament would agree to the proposal, has prevented them going any further in that direction.

CHELSEA.

In 1845 the roads in Chelsea parish were given up to the parish by their act. Still the Commissioners maintain a piece of a road in that parish, to the extent of a mile and 198 yards, at an expense of 850l. per annum, amounting to a rate of 1d. in the pound. Taking the road by the parish. cost an additional rate of 6d. The improvement rate is 1s. 6d.; viz., 6d. for lighting, 6d. for improvement, and 6d. for highways. The roads. are altogether 23 miles in length, including about 2 miles formerly repaired by the Metropolis Commission. Since the removal of the toll-gate there has been a great increase of omnibuses and a reduction of fares. The assessment to the relief of the poor in Ladyday 1856 was 201,1967. The average sum of 300l. per mile, or 6,800l., is put down by the vestry of the parish as the cost of paving materials, cartage, labour, and watering. Previously to 1845 the rates for paving, lighting, &c., were 1s. 34d. in the pound; subsequently they were 1s. 6d.

CITY ROAD.

The cost of a mile in the City Road is 2,300l. The average wear of granite there is rather less than three inches. Were the toll-gate abolished the loss would be about 3,000l. a year. The cost of keeping up the gate and side-bars is about 5l. a week. The cost of the road is 2,600l. per annum. The amount of traffic that passed through the City Road on Saturday, June 21, 1856, from twelve on Friday night to twelve on Saturday night, was-omnibuses, 800; cabs, 1,265; two-horse carriages, 78; one-horse carriages, 290; one-horse carts and vans, 130; two-horse waggons, 23; four-horse waggons, 8; saddle horses, 80; gross amount, 3,442 vehicles.

HACKNEY.

Applications have frequently been made by this parish for the removal of the toll. The inhabitants suffer great inconvenience from it. The abolition of the toll would greatly improve the property all over the parish.

ISLINGTON, HAMPSTEAD, AND HIGHGATE.

In 1855 the Commissioners reduced the tolls in the Hampstead and Highgate districts from 3d, to 2d., at a cost of 3,500l. The loss of removing the Islington gate would be about 3,500l. a year. The Islington district was let that year for 14,500l. If the three advanced gates-the Islington, the St. Pancras, and the Hampstead Road—were removed it would lose to the Commissioners 10,000l. The tolls on the Highgate, Hampstead, and Islington gates, have in the last six years produced 16,000l. and 17,000%. over and above the expenditure on the roads. The traffic from Wednesday night, June 25, to 12 o'clock Thursday night, June, 26, 1856, in the Islington gate was-one-horse gigs, 131; one-horse cabs, 698; one-horse carriages, 380; two-horse carriages, 104; one-horse carts, 657; one-horse vans, 68; two-horse carts, 71; three-horse waggons, 19; four-horse waggons, 16; two-horse omnibuses, 634; three-horse omnibuses, 8; fourhorse omnibuses, 6; horses not drawing, 45; beasts, 5. Total, 2,792 vehicles.

KENSINGTON.

There are two districts and two separate toll gates in the parish. Persons wishing to pass from one part of the parish to another would be compelled to pay two tolls. They can neither go east, west, north, or south without having a toll to pay. The parish of Kensington would not be prepared to take the roads upon themselves, because they consider that these roads are very largely used by a vast number of people, ten or twenty times the inhabitants of Kensington. The Commissioners intend to open Addisonroad, so as to afford relief to the people at Kensington.

NOTTING HILL.

The turnpike gate has an injurious effect upon the population of the district, on account of the concentration of public-houses to meet the traffic stopping at the gate. The property outside the turnpike is also injured, and has always been below the value inside, which led to the collection of a large number of poor and ill-conditioned inhabitants. It is a ready resort for idlers of low character. The abolition of the gate in question is estimated at 1,600l., and if the gate on the hill were abolished it would produce a loss of from 1,500l. to 2,000l.

REGENT STREET.

The expense of a mile in Regent Street in 1840 was 3,400%; in 1842, 3,600. The average wear of granite is 5 inches. The traffic that passed through Regent Street on Saturday, the 21st June, 1856, from twelve o'clock on Friday night till twelve o'clock on Saturday night, was-1,538 omnibuses; 4,853 cabs; 1,134 two-horse carriages; 1,138 one-horse vans and carts; 1,439 one-horse carriages; 194 two-horse waggons and carts; 34 three-horse waggons and carts; 9 four-horse waggons; and 196 saddle horses; making a total of 10,535 in 24 hours.

TRAFFIC OF GATES.

In the Cambridge Heath gate on Wednesday, June 25, there was a traffic of 54 one-horse gigs; 85 one-horse cabs; 97 one-horse carriages; 26 twohorse carriages; 464 one-horse carts; 24 one-horse vans; 40 two-horse carts; 19 two-horse vans; 23 three-horse waggons; 223 two-horse omnibuses; 3 three-horse omnibuses; and 5 four-horse omnibuses. Total, 1,063 vehicles and 4,236 horses. In the Chalk Farm gate, on the same day, the traffic was-42 one-horse gigs; 261 one-horse cabs; 185 one-horse carriages; 100 two-horse carriages; 471 one-horse vans; 73 one-horse vans; 18 two-horse vans; 30 two-horse vans; 29 three-horse waggons; 6 four-horse waggons; 70 two-horse omnibuses; 64 three-horse omnibuses. Total, 1,349 vehicles and 1,841 horses. In the Kentish Town gate, the traffic of Friday, the 27th June, was 1,233 vehicles, and 1,590 horses. the Pancras Gate, the traffic of that day was 881 vehicles, and 1,046 horses. In the Maiden Lane Gate, on the Wednesday, 1,293 vehicles, and 2,371 horses. In the Ball's Pond Gate, on the same day, 819 vehicles, and 997 horses.

RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE.

In

The tolls of each district are applied to the reduction of the general debt, there not being a separate account of receipt and expenditure for each trust. The amount of tolls received in 1827-28, and in 1855-6, show a decrease of about 11,000l. The highest amount received by the Commissioners from tolls in any year was 83,4977. in 1837. The Commissioners have now a balance in their hands of 8,000l., having paid a debt of 150,000l. since 1827.

No. XXXIII.-PILOTAGE.

Abstract of Returns relating to Pilots and Pilotage in the United Kingdom. (354.)

[Presented pursuant to Act of Parliament.]

THE receipts and expenditure of the Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford, Stroud, in the year ending 31st December, 1855, show a receipt of 8,804l. 14s. 4d., and payments, 101,1027. 3s. 6d. There was a balance from 1854 of 1,3827. 15s. Od., and a balance carried forward to 1856 of 85l. 58. 10d. The total amount received for pilotage inwards and outwards in the year 1855 was as follows::