mortality still contrast most favourably as against other large manufacturing towns.
Clocks.—One of Boulton's specialities was the manufacture of clocks, but it was one of the few brandies that did not pay him. Two of his finest astronomical clocks were bought by the Empress of Russia, after being offered for sale in this country in vain. His friend, Dr. Small, is said to have invented a timepiece containing but a single wheel. The "town clocks" of the present day are only worth notice on account of their regular irregularity, and those who wish to be always "up to the time o' day," had best set their watches by the instrument placed in the wall of the Midland Institute. The dome of the Council House would be a grand position in which to place a really good clock, and if the dials were fitted with electric lights it would be useful at all hours, from near and far.
Clubs.—No place in the kingdom can record the establishment of more clubs than Birmingham, be they Friendly Clubs. Money Clubs (so-called), or the more taking Political Clubs, and it would be a hard task to name them all, or say how they flourished, or dropped and withered. In the years 1850-60 it was estimated that at publichouses and coffeehouses there were not less than 180 Money Clubs, the members paying in weekly or fortnightly subscriptions of varying amount for shares £5 to £100, and though there cannot be the slightest doubt that many of our present mastermen owe their success in life to this kind of mutual help, the spirit of gambling in money shares proved, on the whole, to be disastrous to the members who went in for good interest on their deposits. Of Friendly Clubs we shall have something to say under another heading. Respecting the Political Clubs and those of a general nature we may say that the earliest we have note of is the "Church and King Club," whose first meeting was held at the Royal Hotel. Nov. 27, 1792. Of a slightly different nature was the "Hampden Club, "established in 1815, but which was closed by the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in 1817. During the troublous times of 1830-40, many clubs, or "smoke-room palavers," existed, but, perhaps the only one that really showed results was the Branch Club (or local agency), connected with the Land Scheme of Feargus O'Connor [see "Land Societies", and that ultimately dwindled to naught. On July 5, 1847, a club on the plan of the London "Whittington" was started here, but when or why it ended deponent knoweth not.—The Union Clubhouse, corner of Newhall Street and Colmore Row, which cost £16,000, was built in 1868-9, being opened May 3rd of the latter year. This must be considered as the chief neutral ground in local club matters, gentlemen of all shades of politics, &c., being members. The number of members is limited to 400, with 50 "temporary" members, the entrance fee being £1 15s., and the annual subscription £7 7s.—The Town and District Club, opened at the Shakespeare Rooms, in August, 1876, also started on the non-political theory: the town members paying £3 3s, per annum, and country members a guinea or guinea and half, according to their residence being within 25 or 100 miles.—A Liberal Club was founded October 16, 1878, under the auspices of Mr. Joseph Chamberlain and took possession of its present rooms in Corporation Street. January 20, 1880, pending the completion of the palatial edifice now in course of erection in Edmund Street, at the corner of Congreve Street. The "Forward Liberal Club," opened in Great Hampton Street. October 30, 1880. A "Junior Liberal Club" celebrated their establishment by a meeting in the Town Hall. November 16, 1880. The Conservatives, of course, have not been at all backward in Club matters, for there has been some institution or other of the kind connected with the party for the last hundred years. The Midland Conser-
