SOCIOLOGY 
147 
exhibited during the present century (/);—from the number and variety 
of its annual exhibitions {g) inducing a healthy sj)irit of emulation 
both local and distant (witness the Exhibitions of Paintings and 
Industrial Arts, the Agricultural Exhibition, and the Exhibitions of 
Domesticated Animals ;—the Horticultural Exhibitions, including 
specialities in certain flowers, some of which Exhibitions originated 
here, or are of acknowledged excellence);—from the large spirit of volun¬ 
tary beneficence displayed by its inhabitants of all creeds and classes 
(witness the annual Hospital Sunday and Saturday collections (//) for 
the Charities of the town, both of which originated in Birmingham) ; 
—from the recreations of the people being both intellectual (witness 
the triennial Musical Festivals (?) of European celebrity, the Free 
Libraries, and the Art School) and physical (witness the numerous 
athletic and similar clubs);—from the fact that the extremes of wealth 
and poverty are not so marked as in many large towns, but that the 
number of thriving artizans is more numerous (witness the large 
(/.) Mr, Hughes submitted a table showing that the population, which was 
4,000 in 1690, had grown to 73,670 in 1801, and had increased at an average rate of 
about 24 per cent, in each decennial period from 1801 to 1881. At 1851 it stood at 
232,841, and at 1681 it stood at 402,296. Speaking generally, the population had 
increased about a hundred-fold in two hundred years. 
ig. ) Mr. W. P. Marshall, M.I.C.E., has called attention to the fact that “The 
Bingley Hall Exhibition of Manufactures,” which was organised by the Local 
Committee of the British Association at Birmingham in 1849, as a special local 
attraction for the members of the Association, was the parent of the Great 
Exhibition of 1851. Prince Albert, who had then the subject of an International 
Exhibition actively in his mind, having heard of this Birmingham Exhibition, 
made a special visit to the Exhibition, 12th November, 1849 (travelling down 
from London by a special train in 2J hours , and he expressed himself greatly 
pleased and intei’ested, making a close inspection and questioning the manu¬ 
facturers about the work exhibited. It was understood he was greatly struck by 
the successful accomplishment of the exhibition, and that the result gave aid 
of importance in reference to the suggested Great International Exhibition of 
ia51. 
ih. ) The “Hospital Sunday” Annual Collections,—for the suggestion which 
led to their establishment the town is indebted to the late Mr. Thomas 
Barber Wright,—were commenced in the year 1859, since which period 
the sum of £109,564 has been paid over (subject to a nominal deduction for 
expenses) by the Committee towards the support of the medical charities of 
the town. The “Hospital Saturday” Annual Collections were subsequently 
established, on the suggestion of Mr. J. Samson Gamgee, F.E.S.E., in the year 
1873, since which period the sum of £44,112 has been paid over by the 
Committee for the same purposes. 
ii. ) The Birmingham Musical Festivals (held triennially) were established in 
the year 1768 for the benefit of the General Hospital, in aid of which noble 
charity the managers had paid over up to the year 1882 the sum of £116,576. 
From a musical-art point of view their influence has been considerable. The 
“St. Paul” and the “Lobgesang” of Mendelssohn were given in 1837 and 1840, 
and the immortal “Elijah” was specially written for Birmingham, and 
produced at the Festival of 1846, under the conductorship of its author. The 
“Eli” and “Naaman” of Costa in 1855 and 1864, and the “Redemption’ of 
Gounod in 1882, were specially written for these Festivals, and produced 
under the conductorship of their respective authors. Numerous minor works 
of importance have also been written for or first jjroduced at these Festivals. 
