What was the result of your observations and inquiry of the state of the roads?—I found the roads were extremely bad in all parts of Great Britain, as far back as the year 1798, and that very little improvement took place in them between that time and the year 1815, which I attributed to the ignorance of the persons who had the charge of them, the ignorance of the surveyors, the total want of science. What were the objections which you found?—I found the materials so applied that the roads were all loose, and carriages, instead of passing over the roads, ploughed them; that was the general fault of the roads, and the loose state of the materials, I apprehend, was owing to the bad selection, the bad appropriation, and the unskilful laying of them. I came to that conclusion first, from observing that in some parts of the country where things were better managed, there were better roads; and I instanced the roads between Cross and Bridgewater, in Somersetshire; there I saw a better road than in most other parts of the country, and having inquired into their management, I found that they prepared their materials better. The next improvement that I saw in roads, was at Kendal, in Westmoreland, where I think the same result proceeded from the same cause. That led me to the conclusion, that under a better system of management a better road would be produced; and having gone to every part of the country, and inquired into the manner in which they made the roads, I formed a theory in my own mind. This theory I got leave to put in practice by being appointed to the care of the Bristol roads, of which I was a commissioner in January 1816. Did you make any inquiry into the expenditure of money upon those roads, that you found in so bad a state?—I did. What was the result of that inquiry?—I generally found that the expense was in proportion to the badness of the roads, not to their good quality, but as the roads were bad and badly managed the expense increased, and I found few roads that were not deeply in debt and in distress for money. In what did the improvident expenditure consist?—I think principally in carting great quantities of unprepared materials, and putting them into the roads where they were not wanted; that was one source of needless expense; and then the materials being put in so bad a state did not last; the road went soon to pieces. I believe there was a great deal of other kind of prodigality, of a worse character than carelessness. Did you find a larger quantity of materials put in the road than was necessary?—I did, in most instances; a much larger quantity than was necessary. Did you discover, in any of the roads, that there were materials sufficient, if raised, to make a good road, without putting on the additional, quantity?—In a very great number, I think the greater number, I found a sufficient quantity of materials for giving them one good making, without any further addition.