and pre-eminence, and the citizens thank the gods that they have men who will devote thought and energy to laying out public money, and fervently hope that this may be done wisely and well. Some of our public men who are so ardent in forwarding new schemes and improvements can, of course, say that if these developments mean higher rates and growing assessments, they themselves have to bear their share of the burdens. This, of course, is so, but it must be owned that when we have a hand in spending large sums of money with the influence and importance that accompany the process, we pay our quota of the financial imposts if not cheerfully, at least without the grudging feeling of those who merely have to pay, pay, pay. Gentle, and I trust forbearing, reader I have written my story, and have added to my iniquity by publishing it in book form, but I indulge a small hope that it may possibly interest a limited number of those who, like myself, have watched with their own eyes the rapid growth and almost amazing development of Birmingham during the last forty or fifty years. Writing almost entirely from my own observation and memory, I may have made some slips and mistakes, but I have tried to be careful and accurate, and have endeavoured to verify my facts and figures from authentic sources when possible. I therefore venture to hope that my errors are not very many, and not of any serious moment. Writers, we know, are often prone to say that if their readers experience as much pleasure in reading their pages as the writers have had in writing them, the said readers will be rewarded for their time and pains. I am not going to repeat this pretty formula, I am rather inclined to say that if my readers experience my feeling that I have said enough, they will not be sorry to see these last words of my final page. INDEX. Artisans' Dwellings Act 3, 21 Aston Hull 5, 113 Assize Courts 120 Atkins, James 198 Attwood, Thomas 1 Barnett, J.F. 210 Big Ben of Westminster 177 Birmingham and Midland Institute 186 "B'ham Belgravia" 95 Birmingham Bishopric Scheme 75 _Birmingham Daily Gazette_ 126 _Birmingham Daily Mail_ 128 _Birmingham Morning News_ 126 _Birmingham Daily Post_ 125 _Birmingham Daily Press_ 123 Birmingham Old Library 223 Birmingham Workhouse 110 Board Schools 93 Bright, John 12, 52, 192 Brougham, Lord 188