If strangers are struck with the size and grandeur of the metropolis and its great improvements in the last thirty or forty years, with its parks, gardens, public and private edifices, its churches, public hospitals, charities, and institutions for knowledge, science and arts, with its bridges, docks, tunnel and railways, they ought also to admire, with equal justice, objects that promote their cleanliness, health, comfort and happiness; with markets well supplied; plenty of water; its gas-lights affording beautiful illuminations; its steam-boats; its insurance offices and fireengines, its commodious pavements and its barelled sewers, all of which tend to increase our comforts and security. There is no city better supplied with water or better drained. If the maps of London at the time of Queen Elizabeth in 1560, and that by Roque, in 1769, be compared with those of the present period, there will be found to have been a very great increase in the size of it; particularly if we include the improvements and additions of recent times; such as Regent Street and Park; the Strand; Trafalgar Square; Pall-mall; Belgrave Square; Waterloo, Southwark, and London Bridges; the cluster of the docks, with all their buildings in the east, and other improvements in Middlesex, Westminster, and Southwark. A tolerable idea might be formed of the extent and number of houses requisite for a population of 1,500,000 inhabitants, allowing about six persons to a house. The villages, for miles round London, are gradually becoming united to it, and the avenues to the capital are spacious and ornamental. There are few cities where there are so many benevolent and charitable institutions for the comfort and assistance of infancy and old age, and of infirm and sick persons.* Contrasting the trade of London in the year 1793 with that of 1836, without entering into many details, it may be briefly remarked, that London has increased in extent, population, commerce, wealth and power beyond general conception. But wishing to confine points respecting London to trade and its accommodation, it may be briefly stated, that according to accurate documents there were entered for the year 1836 Colliers 8,162 Coasters (including steam-vessels).... 12,603 1,465 26,075 * Since writing the above I avail myself with pleasure of an article in the John Bull, of the 5th of March, 1837, as taken from Frazer's Magazine for that month, to which I refer. Hospitals, dispensaries, infirmaries, and other medical or surgical charities.... Institutions and schools for the instruction of orphans and other necessitous children (exclusive of parochial, charity, and infant schools) Pensionary, annuitant, loan and other societies Philanthropic societies, asylums, and schools of reform 10 Benevolent institutions, some of which are unequalled in the world for Being a very great increase over the importation of coals into London in 1793. This great increased consumption proceeds from the increase of population, the number of manufactories, distilleries, breweries, private and public works using steam-engines, and particularly the supply of steam-boats plying from London to Margate, &c. and outwardbound. extent, and the munificence of their provisions; which statement may be coupled with the fact, that for the support of education, Bible and Tract societies, no less a sum than £552,376 18s. 2d. (the actual receipt for the years 1835 and 1836) is annually subscribed in the United kingdom. |