From William James (unpublished)
Grand Hotel de Russie, Rue Richlieu June 7th. 1783
Sir

Since I had the honor of waiting upon you I have gained the Intelligence of Mr. Sayre, for which Reason I have thoughts of Returning Immediately to England. But before I quitted Paris I was desirous of Informing you, that I am the person, that for near twenty years, wrote in the English Newspapers upon public Improvements, many of which in Consequence have taken place. My Objects were Roads, Rivers, Bridges, pavements, Carriages, Copper Sheathing Line of Battle Ships, Roman Oval serers, Rounding off the Angles of Narrow streets, levelling the Ground and Iron Railing Church yeard &ca &ca. When I was in Paris six years ago, Monsr LeRoy of the Academy at the Louvre, Invited me to his apartments to Consult Me upon a Vareity of Matters but many Things that we agreed upon have Not been Carried into execution, by which Neglect, Paris is secondary to London in may Circumstances. As I think your Influence would have the desired effect, if not out of the line of your Amusement I have taken the liberty of sending you my Opinion. Every street in Paris should have Trottaires, or Footways of bread Stones, such as have not width Enough for 2 footways, and two Carriages, should Admit of One Carriage Only. And where Not wide Enough for One Carriage with footways paved with flat stones like Cranbourne aley Liecester Fields, Change Ally &ca. The streets of London never became Magnificant, Nor the shops elegant until Enginiers gave the level, and had formed the footways upon their present principle, and the Carriageways upon a small  . In this Improvement I include the footways of the Boulevards, to make them Equally perfect in wet weather. The Next Thing I would Recommend is the upright Roman Oval sewer, as now carrying on in London six feet high, which Receives the filth of all the Houses and Conveys it to the Thames. It would likewise be of great Advantage to France, to pass an Edict, that all Carriages should have a proportional broad which according to their several Classes, those with four wheels to Roll double surfaces. The preservation of the Roads, and pavements, in this great Monarchy, would be an Immense saving, as would the lessening the Number of Horses. I Could Save the State some hundred thousand pounds a year, in Reforming these Kind of Abuses, having spent at least One Thousand pounds On Carriages in Experiments. The best wheels Ever Invested are the Hoop and Sullies. I have tried them many years, and Know thier Merit. You have the Reputation of the Invention. The destruction of the pavements in Paris is Owing entirely to Narrow wheels. In time the flat square, becomes Round headed, great weights are moved with difficulty,      , and all Carriages are shook to peices. In London I have drawn 29 Sacks of Coals with 2 Horses, which is 2 Chaldron and sacks. 4 Chaldron with six Horses, and 5 Chaldrons or 63 sacks 15 miles with Eight Horses. In a Chariot, Mr. Viny that makes the hoop sully wheels, has Run 28 miles with One Horse in 3 Hours with two people in it. Before I left London, I Compleated for a Family of your Acquaintance, a post Chariot with the front wheels 4 feet 10 Inches high, with a short perch. It is as short as Another Carriage, and lacks as Easy, the perch bot being Advanced in fron of the Azle. I Judge Also, that Making the Natural Rivers of Any Kingdom navigable without Locks, by Improved ballast Work, a Most Advantageous Improvement. I tried the Experiment On the Thames, and supplied the Roads with ballast. With a wheel of 15 feet diameter I Could Raise 100 Tun in 4 Hours. For want of this being Carried into Execution the Thames is Unnavigable several months in the year. By a Calculation I found that 300 Tuns from Staines to London of a day Made a saving against Land Carriage of £25000 a year. Judge then what pains should be taken to Abolish all Lock work on Natural Rivers and to Avoid them when possible On Artificial Canals. I have taken the liberty of sending what Width I think would aggrandize France.

Inches Inches
waggons9to Roll 16.12 Horses not less than 2 Abreast
6to Roll 12.8.
3to Roll 64.
Carts9.6
64
31
Double
Stage Coaches4to Roll 86 Horses. No Luggage
private Coaches
Chariotts &ca272to Roll 5.6 Horses
Light Carriages
with One Horse272.

If I have trespassed a Moment upon your Time Improperly, I beg to apologize, And to Assure you that I am with great Respect, Sir, your most Obedient Humble Servant

Wm James.

p.s. Is it not a pity that all France does not Employ Hoop sully Wheels.
To Dr Franklin
Grand Hotel de Russie Rue Richlieu Sunday Morning
Sir

I Meant soon after I had the Honor of dining with you at Passy to have Returned to England, but Meeting with an English Phyzician, he has Made Paris so agreable to Me, that I think of Staying until the Middle of September, without I Can gain an Establishment in France or America.

Having taken, in my leisure Hours, an Active part in the Improvements in England, I was equally desirous of not being Idle in Paris. My Communicant has been daily surveying this great City, and Communicating by Letters My Remarks to Monsr Le Roy. A few wekks ago, I made a Tour with my Friend into Normandy, and sent him likewise my Observations on what I thought most Momentous. I discover many Things Right in France. Their Roads Are Magnificent, And Well Conducted. The Arts flourish in Architecture, shipbuilding, painting, sculpture &ca yet I think them deficient in many Essential Circumstances. Their Modern Bridges Are fine, but Unhappily Are Over Uncorrected Rivers. There is not a City Or Town in France Conducted on a Regular   like London And Windsor. Neither is there One Carriage of Any Sort Upon a Mechanic principle. Paris is unreformed. It wants a better supply of Water, And Oval sewers to Carry off the Filth. The English seldom Revisit Paris. The Reason is they Can Beither Ride, drive Or walk About the City. The plantations without Are however Very grand, pleasant, And Agreable. If Rome, by the Remains of its Ancient Magnificence, brings in by the Resort of Foreigners More than London gains by its Trade, what would not France do, if all the Cities, And Towns, were Conducted upon the principle of London and Westminster? I have but poor Abilities, and yet I think the Hints I have given Mr. Le Roy, would Advantage France many Million a year. I Judge Improved Carriages would save nearly half the draft Horses. That Roads, and pavements, in thier Repairs, might be decreased One half, by a proportional Broad Wheel. The same in the wear and Tear of Carriages of Every desimmation. In the preservation of Goods 16 Per Cent. Hoop Sullies would fave ths of the Timber Now wasted, and last as long again. In Barge work 100 Per Cent may be gained, by Creating deeper upper Levels. The Ingenious Mr. Pironetts Books being published, his Art of Bridge Building is Now universally Known. If in the Reform of Rivers, Any Even of his Own Bridges should prove Unsafe, they may be Rebuilt On the same Construction. The present structures of this sort are not Equal to a deepened Navigation. I have walked under An Intire dry Arch of pont Neuilly. This proves the River defective not the Bridge. The Navigation of the Thames is Ruined. The of London want to Regain it by Lock work. I Recommend Improved Ballast work.

Although I Intend to Return to England in a few Days, yet I had rather spend the Remainder of my Days in France, Or America. I was used Ill by the Bank Directors in the year 1772, Or Rather by Mr. Payne the Governor who Ruined Me to save himself. After I had paid Twenty Thousand pounds in supporting a Million of Stock against Sir George Colbrooke, who gave falso Dividends On India stock, they supported him, And Others in July 1772 to the Amount of 8 Millions of Money, by which Means, Instead of Recovering £50,000 which I should have done, I was forced to pay £10,000 More. I was then a Tenant of the Bank. I Resented thier treatment, but they were too powerfull to Contend with. I then took up the American Cause very warmly, and Sent them Letters to the proprietors, which they Smuggled, that if Ever America was lost to England, it would be thro’ the Bank parlor, And that all their political Discounts were paper swords Issued to destroy the Innocent Americans, but that they would not succeed for the Inglorious Conduct of England would End in a happy Independency to America. Now sir, As you have done Numberless great Things in your Life, I should not be Ungrattefull, if through your Consequence, you Could Establish me in France, Or America, in any Employ I am Equal to. I had Rather Remain Abroad On 200 Per Annum, than Return to England on £500. I am, Sir, your most Obedient and Obliged Humble Servant

Wm James.

To his Excellency Dr. Franklin
p.s. If it is necessarry for Me to quit France I intend taking the Liberty of waiting upon your Excellency to take my Leave, And to thank you for the several Civilities I have received.
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