Genre:

Proceedings, Spoof

Subjects:

Animal Behaviour, Transport, Steam-power, Engineering, Cultural Geography, Politics

    Describes a meeting of 'representative horses employed in and about the Metropolis' held at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. After recounting his experiences as a racehorse, the 'Chairman' of the meeting (the oldest cab-horse in London) describes the object as being to protest against the 'leg, back, and heart-breaking business' of walking over 'rough granite on roads' in order to grind the material into Macadam. His resolution to condemn this practice as 'dangerous, cruel, and unnecessary' is heartily supported by two horses who offer their pitiful accounts of the suffering they endured and urge that Britain should follow France in using steam-rollers to crush the road materials. The second resolution, to ask John J R Manners why he has failed to carry out this practice, is 'carried with enthusiasm'.