638 
local affairs is a help or a hindrance to a man in taking part in 
the larger political world. It helps a man to learn and_under- 
stand some of the methods of public business, and with due 
respect to the time and opinions of other people to express his 
own views clearly on questions that arise, but there are men 
who always seek a larger view of things, and others who delight 
in their microscopical examination. This difference in men’s 
nature could never be eradicated, and thus the man of micro- 
scopical tendency was probably the most useful in local affairs, 
as the other was for national matters, though there are some 
men who would be useful in either capacity. Partly by legisla- 
tion and by other forms there will be a great diminution of 
competition, and we shall have a better way of dealing with that 
work of God—the labouring man,—of fixing the measure of his 
remuneration in a more appreciable way than by public auction. 
Other disadvantages we have to contend with are debasing 
literature contained in the weekly trashy periodicals, and that 
literature which floods the country with details of betting. I 
can never understand why it is right to punish a man who keeps 
a betting house, and to allow another man to publish 100,000 
copies of his paper morning and evening containing full details 
of the betting carried on, and I hope someone will be found 
with the courage to press for a reform in this matter in Parlia- 
ment, and that he will be readily and promptly backed up by 
an expression of public opinion. The advantages we have are 
the abundance of commodities, the advancement of science and 
mechanical aids, the comfort and easiness of travel, the diffusion 
of good and wholesome literature, the increasing participation of 
working men in business undertakings, and in their knowledge 
as to what is practicable and what is impracticable. 
FRAGMENTARY SKETCHES OF LOCAL 
HISTORY, AND MANNERS, CUSTOMS AND 
REMINISCENCES OF OLD BURNLEY. 
By TATTERSALL WILKINSON. November 11th, 1890. 
Myr. Tattersall Wilkinson said he would first introduce the 
Sharpleses of Brown Hill, an ancient yeoman family, whose 
paternal home consisted of a two-storied cottage situate on the 
highway leading from Upper Red Lees to Foxstones. This 
cottage, with a few acres of land, reclaimed from the moors 
by their ancestors nearly four centuries ago, continued in their 
possession until about three years ago, when John Sharples 
