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| Full title: | Mr. Goldsworthy Gurney's case |
| Short title: | Goldsworthy Gurney's case (steam carriages) |
| Corporate author: | House of Commons.Select Committee on Mr.Goldsworthy Gurney's Case |
| Chairman: | Cayley, E.S. |
| Abstract: | Mr Goldsworthy Gurney was the first person to successfully operate steam carriages on common roads, and he took out patents for his invention in 1825 and 1826-27. In 1830 Mr Gurney entered into contracts with various individuals for the commercial exploitation of his invention, carrying passengers at a lower fare than horse carriages. In 1831 more than 50 private bills were passed by Parliament imposing prohibitive tolls on steam carriages (two pounds or more, while horse carriages might pay six shillings or less), and the contractors suspended their operations, pending a petition to Parliament. A select Committee was appointed, and concluded that steam carriages were safe, quick, cheap, and less damaging to roads than horse carriages, that they would be a benefit to the public and the prohibitive tolls should be removed. A bill to this effect was passed by the Commons but rejected by the Lords.
Mr. Gurney, having kept open his factory until this point was forced to close it and sell off his materials and tools at a loss. The contractors withdrew from the business.
The effect of the Acts passed by Parliament have been to make an otherwise profitable business no longer viable. Mr Gurney's losses included the costs of keeping his workshop open for six years, loss of contracts, loss of mileage duty on the various routes and the costs of patents. He also lost the advantage of being the first to develop a working steam carriage, as others used the intervening period to develop their own machines, and lost his advantage over the railways. The total loss can be calculated at over £200,000. This left him unable to either build and operate steam carriages, or to protect his patents.
Sections of those Acts imposing prohibitory tolls on steam carriages should be immediately repealed, and such tolls should be replaced by those for which horse carriages are liable. Mr Gurney's patent should be extended at public expense for a period of fourteen years beyond the date of its expiry, or a sum of not less than £5000 should be offered to Mr Gurney in lieu of such extension. Other parties have an interest in Mr. Gurney's patent, and half of the money or benefits should be kept aside for Mr. Gurney exclusivel. |
| Date presented etc: | Appointed May, signed July, 1835 |
| Other features: | Report, minutes of evidence |
| Series: | Sessional papers |
| Session: | 1835 |
| Volume number: | xiii |
| Paper/Bill number: | (373) |
| Bound Set Start Page: | 489 |
| Total Pages: | 34 |
| Publisher: | HMSO |
| Date published: | 1835 |
| Full-text URL: | |
| Edited by: | University of London Library, Senate House |
| BOPCRIS Keywords: | Inventions, Patents, Copyright, Trade Marks - Inventions |
Library of Congress
Subject Heading(s): | Inventions - Great Britain |
| Year Range: | 1833-1899 |
| URL of this record: | http://www.bopcris.ac.uk/bopall/ref5158.html |
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