One furlong from Exeter row, towards the hand, are thirty-four. Upon Camp-hill, 130 yards from the junction of the Warwick and Coventry roads, which is the extremity of the present buildings, are thirty-one. And two furlongs from the town, in Walmer-lane, are seventeen more. I shall comprize, in one view, the state of Birmingham in eight different periods of time. And though some are imaginary, perhaps they are not far from real. Streets. Houses. Souls. In the time of the ancient Britons, 80 400 A.D. 750, 8 600 3000 1066, 9 700 3500 1650, 15 900 5472 1700, 28 2504 15032 1731, 51 3717 23286 1741, 54 4114 24660 1780, 125 8382 50295 In 1778, Birmingham, exclusive of the appendages, contained 8042 houses, 48252 inhabitants. At the same time, Manchester consisted of 3402, houses, and 22440 people. In 1779, Nottingham contained 3191 houses, and 17711 souls. It is easy to see, without the spirit of prophecy, that Birmingham hath not yet arrived at her zenith, neither is she likely to reach it for ages to come. Her increase will depend upon her manufactures; her manufactures will depend upon the national commerce; national commerce, will depend upon a superiority at sea; and this superiority may be extended to a long futurity. The interior parts of the town, are like those of other places, parcelled out into small free-holds, perhaps, originally purchased of the Lords of the Manor; but, since its amazing increase, which began about the restoration, large tracts of land have been huxtered out upon building leases. Some of the first that were granted, seem to have been about Worcester and Colmore streets, at the trifling annual price of one farthing per yard, or under. The market ran so much against the lesor, that the lessee had liberty to build in what manner he pleased; and, at the expiration of the term, could remove the buildings unless the other chose to purchase them. But the market, at this day, is so altered, that the lessee gives four-pence per yard; is tied to the mode of building, and obliged to leave the premisses in repair. The itch for building is predominant: we dip our fingers into mortar almost as soon as into business. It is not wonderful that a person should be hurt by the _falling_ of a house; but, with us, a man sometimes breaks his back by _raising_ one. This private injury, however, is attended with a public benefit of the first magnitude; for every "_House to be Let_," holds forth a kind of invitation to the stranger to settle in it, who, being of the laborious class, promotes the manufactures.