OMNIBUSES.
THE proceedings at a Police-office against the drivers of some of these vehicles (already noticed in another part of our paper) have called forth the following comments from the Courier- 4, For the sake of the public convenience, and indeed for its safety, we are glad to see that the Magistracy are determined to put down the domestic tyranny of the omnibus stage-coaches. In our Police Report of this day, will be found two cases, which, it is to be hoped, may act as a salutary warning to the head- long drivers of these unwieldy, unsightly, and annoying machines.
" Mr. Rawlinson seems determined to hold the reins of the law over these desperadoes with a tight hand : we trust that the worthy Magistrate NI ill spare neither the curb of restraint nor the whip of correction which the law has placed in his hands, wherewith to drive them into the right road. " The thanks of the public are, in the present instance, due to this active Magistrate, for his attempt to put down one of the most abominable nuisances that ever existed in the city of a civilized people."
Our contemporary is eloquent on omnibuses; and yet, were he to study closely the whole of the nuisances of a civilized people, he might perhaps discover some which, though not unwieldy nor unsightly, are more annoying to the community than even omni- buses are. We are no friends to such terrible assaults as that of Master LEE, with his long pole ; but it ought to be observed, in that case, if an unwieldy machine was the offender, an unwieldy ma- chine was also the sufferer. Let the one balance the other. Neither do we admire races of any kind on public roads; but, with submission, we would here observe, that the essence of the offence was the speed, not the unwieldiness, unsightliness, and senti- mentally annoying character of the vehicle—a common stage- coach, when similarly impelled, differs in no element of danger, to the persons in it and on it, from an omnibus. A few days ago, some sensitive shopmen of the Poultry made a grievous complaint to the Lord Mayor against the unsightlies they even asked his Lordship (rather an impudent request, by the by) to walk out and look how they blocked up the street—" one, two, three of them, all of a row." Then also our contemporary's gorge rose, and he de- claimed most bitterly at the unwieldy machines, not for racing, but for standing still. There is no pleasing some critics. For our parts, much as-we admire the light and jaunty cabriolet, with its driver stuck upon the right shoulder like a butcher's tray,—and much also as we admire the negligent roll of the hackney-coach,- we yet incline, for the sake of our humbler brethren, to tolerate the omnibus, all unsightly and unwieldy as it is. The omnibus carries the passenger from the Mansionhouse to Charing Cross for sixpence. Now, though we grant that the saving of two shillings in half-a-crown is below the notice of a gentleman, yet as all who travel along Cheapside and the Strand cannot be gen- tlemen, we deem it but just that they should not be called on without necessity to pay gentlemen's prices. He who can afford it does right to take his pleasure in a cab—he may even take a hackney chariot, or, on high days, a glass coach if he will ; but let him not compel those who must look in vain to such elegant pieces of luxury to walk afoot.
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