it formed with stone
or gravel.

As the power of the grand jury extends in this manner to the cutting new
roads where none ever were before, as well as to the repairing and
widening old ones, exclusive, however, of parks, gardens, etc., it was
necessary to put a restriction against the wanton expense of it. Any
presentment may be traversed that is opposed, by denying the allegations
of the certificate; this is sure of delaying it until another assizes,
and in the meantime persons are appointed to view the line of road
demanded, and report on the necessity or hardship of the case. The
payment of the money may also be traversed after the certificate of its
being laid out; for if any person views and finds it a manifest
imposition and job, he has that power to delay payment until the cause is
cleared up and proved. But this traverse is not common. Any persons are
eligible for asking presentments; but it is usually done only by resident
gentlemen, agents, clergy, or respectable tenantry. It follows
necessarily, that every person is desirous of making the roads leading to
his own house, and that private interest alone is considered in it, which
I have heard objected to the measure; but this I must own appears to me
the great merit of it. Whenever individuals act for the public alone,
the public is very badly served; but when the pursuit of their own
interest is the way to benefit the public, then is the public good sure
to be promoted; such is the case of presentment of roads: for a few years
the good roads were all found leading from houses like rays from a
centre, with a surrounding space, without any communication; but every
year brought the remedy, until in a short time, those rays pointing from
so many centres met, and then the communication was complete. The
original Act passed but seventeen years ago, and the effect of it in all
parts of the kingdom is so great, that I found it perfectly practicable
to travel upon wheels by a map; I will go here; I will go there; I could
trace a route upon paper as wild as fancy could dictate, and everywhere I
found beautiful roads without break or hindrance, to enable me to realise
my design. What a figure would a person make in England, who should
attempt to move in that manner, where the roads, as Dr. Burn has well
observed, are almost in as bad a state as in the time of Philip and Mary.
In a few years there will not be a piece of bad road except turnpikes in
all Ireland.