ENGLAND AND WALES. 



covering an area of over 260 acres, and having 

 nearly 19 miles of quay space. The whole of these 

 locks have, with the exception of the Salthouse, 

 King's, part of the George's, and part of the 

 Queen's, been built since 1812. They were erected 

 chiefly under the superintendence of the late 

 Jesse Hartley, Esq. and are held to be one of 

 the greatest engineering triumphs of the present 

 <entury. Several of the docks are inclosed by 

 large warehouses ; the erection of those round the 

 Albert Dock cost ,35 8,000, and the dock itself 

 ^141,000. The architecture of the town has been 

 wonderfully improved within the last 40 years. 

 Liverpool is connected with Birkenhead by rail- 

 way below the bed of the Mersey. The popula- 

 tion of Liverpool, excluding Birkenhead, was, in 

 1871, 493,405; in 1881, 552,508. Since 1885, 

 Liverpool returns nine members to parliament 



Manchester, a city, municipal and parliamentary 

 aorough of Lancashire, and the great centre of the 

 cotton manufacture of the north-west of England, 

 stands on the Irwell, 32 miles east-north-east 

 Liverpool, and 188 miles north-north-west of 

 London by railway. In 1881 the population of 

 the parliamentary borough was 393,585, whereas 

 in 1871 it was 383,843. In the adjoining borough 

 of Salford, the population in 1881 was 176,235. 

 The Seats Act of 1885 gave Manchester six, and 

 Salford three members of parliament. Water for 

 the supply of Manchester is collected on Blackstone 

 Edge, and conducted from a series of reservoirs 

 through iron pipes nearly 20 miles to the borough. 

 Powers were obtained in 1879 to secure a supply 

 of water from Lake Thirlmere, in Cumberland. 

 The water-works, in which are invested about 

 .3,750,000, and the gas-works, involving about 

 .450,000, belong to the corporation. From 

 the sale of gas, there accrues an annual 

 profit of about ^50,000, which is devoted to 

 improving the borough. In 1845-46, 3 parks, 

 of about 30 acres each, were acquired by public 

 subscription ; and a fourth, of about 60, has since 

 sen acquired by the corporation. Manchester 

 was the first borough to take advantage of the 

 Free Libraries Act, which allows an assessment 

 of a penny per pound on the local rates for parks, 

 libraries, and museums ; here also was established 

 the first free lending library in England. The 

 ratable value of municipal Manchester in 1873 

 was 1,760,000, and of Salford, ,484,000. The 

 celebrated Bridgewater Canal connects Manchester 

 with Liverpool, and access is also obtained for 

 heavy barges by the rivers Irwell and Mersey. 

 The chief trade is cotton-spinning. Respecting 

 this branch of industry, an article in the Daily 

 Advertiser of September 5, 1739, copied into the 

 Gentleman's Magazine, says : ' The manufacture 

 of cotton mixed and plain is arrived at so great 

 perfection within these 20 years, that we not only 

 make enough for our own consumption, but supply 

 our colonies and many of the nations of Europe. 

 The benefits arising from this branch are such as 

 to enable the manufacturers of Manchester alone 

 to lay out above ^30,000 a year for many years 

 past on additional buildings. It is computed that 

 2000 new houses have been built in that industrious 

 town within these 20 years.' ' In a rapidly advanc- 

 ing country,' says Edward Baines, writing in 1835 

 {History of the Cotton Manufacture of Great 

 Britain}, ' the great things of our age are insignifi- 

 cant in the eyes of the succeeding age. Thus, the 



period of 1739, whose prosperity was so much 

 vaunted, is now looked back upon as the mere 

 feeble infancy of the cotton manufacture.' Mr 

 Baines then cites figures shewing the growth of 

 the cotton-trade during last century. From these 

 it appears that, in 1701, the total declared value 

 of British cotton goods exported was 23,253 ; in 

 1764, it was 200,353. In 1833, according to Mr 

 Baines, the imports of cotton wool were 303,726,199 

 Ibs., and the declared value of exports, 18,486,400. 

 In 1871, the quantity of raw cotton imported was 

 15,876,248 cwt., the declared value 55,767,545 ; 

 the declared value of cotton yarn exported was 

 15,054,742; and of manufactured cotton, it was 

 -57*635,570. There are now ordinarily employed 

 in the cotton-mills of Manchester about 60,000 

 persons, who earn about 30,000 a week in wages. 

 There are at least 7000 skilled mechanics con- 

 stantly engaged in the production of steam-engines, 

 spinning-mules, looms, and other machinery, chiefly 

 for the production of the various textile fabrics, 

 whose wages average about 323. each per week, 

 and who need some 1500 labourers to assist them. 

 In 1846, John Owens, a Manchester merchant, left 

 ,100,000 to found a college for secular instruction. 

 It has now a large staff of professors, magnificent 

 chemical and physical laboratories, and about 800 

 students. According to the School-board returns 

 of 1873, the number of day scholars in Manchester 

 was 38,500 in actual attendance ; and in evening 

 schools and literary institutions, there are from 

 4000 to 5000 pupils. In Manchester originated 

 the agitation which ended by rendering practical 

 the theories of Adam Smith regarding free-trade. 

 The parish of Manchester covers a large area, 

 reaching to Stockport, Oldham, and Ashton- 

 under-Lyne. 



Birmingham, the chief town in Britain for 

 metallic manufactures, and supplying much of 

 the world with hardware, is in the north-west of 

 Warwickshire, with suburbs extending into Staf- 

 fordshire and Worcestershire, 112 miles north- 

 west of London. Built on the east slope of three 

 undulating hills, on the Rea and the Tame, on 

 a gravelly foundation, overlying clay and new red 

 sandstone, and supplied with plenty of water, it 

 is one of the best drained towns in England. The 

 older part of the town is crowded with workshops 

 and warehouses ; but the modern is open and 

 well built. The architecture and general appear- 

 ance of Birmingham present some striking con- 

 trasts. Many of the streets are handsome, but 

 the older parts of the town are mean and squalid. 

 The suburbs would be pleasant but for the atmos- 

 phere, which is generally darkened with smoke, 

 belched forth by a forest of tall chimney-stalks, 

 which form one of the main features of the town 

 and neighbouring landscape. The manufacture 

 of guns and articles pertaining to them, and of 

 steel pens, are the chief industrial branches of 

 Birmingham. In visiting the manufactories, one 

 is struck by the extraordinary dexterity of finger 

 which long practice has given to those employed 

 in them. This is, we believe, especially true of 

 the young girls employed in the works. Their 

 tidiness and generally cheerful looks are also 

 noteworthy. You see countless small pasteboard 

 boxes to be filled with so many hooks and eyes. 

 It would seem hardly credible, having regard to 

 the rapidity of the operation, that its result should 

 be accurate, yet we believe that errors are few 



