money has been strongly evidenced, on the various occasions whenever there has been a considerable extension or contraction of the circulating medium; for after the government, by means of the expenses attendant on the American war, had drained the country of its gold, the result was the stoppage of the Bank of England in the year 1797. This evil was for a time remedied by the issuing of small notes, which then supplied the place of gold; but, like every factitious substitute, eventually proved destitute of the solidity and permanence which reality alone possesses. The circulating of small notes by the Bank of England was speedily followed by a copious uttering of provincial bank paper, as well as a great quantity of bills; this abundance, like a plethora in the human constitution, bearing the semblance of health, which is suddenly succeeded by extravasation and paralysis, was the cause of great distress among the commercial body of Liverpool, in the years 1807, and 1810; several houses that had been deemed not only solvent, but possessed of considerable riches, were obliged to stop payment. This shock serving as a purifier, caused a more cautious and less fictitious system of trade to be carried on from the aforesaid period, until some time prior to the year 1825, when a general rage for speculation, that had been generated by an excessive issue of paper money, was again checked by a sudden

drawing in of the Bank of England notes. This excited a panic almost unequalled in the annals of the country: in the metropolis and in the provinces nothing was heard of but stoppages; bankers, merchants, and tradesmen, all classes were threatened to be overwhelmed in one universal ruin. On this occasion it was declared by a member of the cabinet, in the House of Commons, that the nation had been within fortyeight hours of barter. Liverpool, like the rest of the trading community, sustained some very heavy failures.

POPULATION.

A comparison between the populousness of ancient and modern nations, has exercised the pens of some of the ablest writers of our own and other nations, but without producing any satisfactory result; however, the arguments and historical facts that have been adduced, incline us to the opinion of that party who contend that our species is more numerous now than it was in former times. Another fact, strikingly corroborative of this inference, is the rapid increase in the number of inhabitants belonging to Liverpool, during a period of little more than five centuries, as will be evident from an inspection of the subjoined table, which, though it may not be strictly correct, yet must approximate near to the truth :

The inhabitants of the adjoining townships for 1831, were 40,760, and as all these places may, with great propriety, be said to form but one large town, the total amounts to 205,981, to which, if we also add the number of seamen belonging to the port, and who have been estimated at 10,000, the whole population will be 215,981.

This table fully confirms the various estimates of the increase in the population of this town. The proportion of births between the males and females for the year 1832 is in favour of the former, the males being 3979, and the females 3788, leaving a majority of 191; and the number of deaths is less on the part of the males, being for them 2900, and for the females 2966, forming a majority of 66. Of the number of deaths of both sexes during the same year, it appears that a great proportion is on the part of infants, there being 1550 of those who have died under two years of age. The number of deaths during the year 1832 was much greater than in any of the preceding years, which may be chiefly attributed to the ravages occasioned by the cholera.

INCREASE OF BUILDINGS.

In our historical sketch we have seen that Liverpool, a few centuries ago, was a paltry town, altogether destitute of wealth and importance, and that not until the year 1699 was it made a separate parish from Walton, to which

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it had previously been merely a chapelry. We have seen that its population in 1700 did not exceed 5714; consequently, we may justly infer that the number of dwelling-houses and cottages together could not, at that time, have been more than nine hundred, so that little more than a century ago this vast town, which now far exceeds in wealth and magnitude the capitals of many kingdoms, could not then, with propriety, be designated any thing but a village. painting we have before mentioned, exhibiting a representation of this town as it was in the year 1680, a description of which we have inserted, shows its then insignificance and limited extent. At that time ferry-boats were kept at the bottom of Lord-street, and at the bottom of Sir Thomas'sbuildings, for the purpose of conveying passengers over the water, which in those days flowed from the river along the present Paradise-street, Whitechapel, the Old Hay-market, and along Byrom-street; there was likewise a bridge at the lower end of Pool-lane, and another in Schoollane. At the bottom of Dale-street there were flood-gates, for the repairs of which frequent orders were made. In 1680, Mr. Dansie built the first house that was erected on the eastern side of the pool; it was situate near the bottom of School-lane, and at the corner of Manesty'slane. Until the beginning of the eighteenth century there was only one church; and an act