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The causes of the 1718 Act derive from the convergence of a number of factors. Fears over rising crime and disorder after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, a contested Hanoverian accession to the British throne, inappropriate punishments for lesser felonies (misdemeanours), concern over crowd behaviour at public punishments, and a new determination by parliament to push through the legislation despite colonial opposition resulted in the passing of the Act. Transportation thus became a regularly available sentence for the courts to hand down to those convicted of non-capital offences as well as capital crimes. The Transportation Act of 1958 (PL 85-625) attempted to reinvigorate the commercial Railroad s of the United States by granting the Interstate Commerce Commission money to loan to railroads and power to fix prices. Despite this, railroads were still having a difficult time remaining profitable, and asked to shed services, particularly passenger rail services. The Transportation Act of 2005 was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush and authorizes the U.S. federal government to spend $286 billion on the United States transportation system. The bill also includes congressional pet projects, like the construction of a national wildlife refuge in Louisiana and the paving of bike trails. SEE ALSO |
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