tical Union, which was dissolved by mutual consent
of the leaders May 10, 1834, but there can be no doubt that it did have
considerable influence on the political changes of the period. In 1848
an attempt was made to resuscitate the Old Union, though the promoters
of the new organisation called it the "Political Council," and in 1865
another League or Union was started, which has a world-wide fame as "The
Caucus." Indeed, it may be safely said the town has never, during the
past sixty years or so, been without some such body, the last appointed
being the "Reform League," started Sept. 2, 1880, by the Rev. Arthur
O'Neill and his friends, to agitate for a change in the Constitution of
the House of Lords.

~Reform Meetings.~--We have had a few big meetings of the kind one time
and another, and give the dates of the principal. Newhall Hill used to
be the favourite spot, and the first meeting held there was on January
22, 1817.--On July 22, 1819, there were 60,000 there, and a member was
chosen to represent the town in Parliament. (See "_Newhall Hill_.") The
meeting of October 3, 1831, had only 150,000 persons at it, but May 7,
in following year, saw 200,000 on the Hill.--The "great" Reform meetings
at Brookfields were on August 27, 1866, and April 22, 1867.--A
procession to, and demonstration at Soho Pool, Aug. 4, 1884, at which
100,000 persons are said to have been present, is the last big thing of
the kind.

~Regattas.~--Usually the A1 amusement of places blessed with sea or
river space, but introduced to us (Aug 2, 1879), on the Reservoir, by
the Y.M.C.A., whose members had to compete with some crack rowers from
Evesham, Shrewsbury, Stratford, Stourport, and Worcester.

~Registers.~--At what date a parish register was first kept here is not
known, but Mr. Hamper, the antiquarian, once found some old parts stowed
away under the pulpit staircase, and he had them bound and preserved.
There are very few perfect registers in this neighbourhood, though Aston
can boast of one dated from 1544, King's Norton 1547, Handsworth 1558,
Northfield 1560, Castle Bromwich 1659, and Moseley 1750--The
Registration Act was passed Aug. 17, 1836.

~Register Offices.~--The custom of hiring servants at "statute fairs"
and "mops" still exists in theory if not in practice, in several parts
of the adjoining counties but thanks to the low scale for advertising,
such a system is not needed now. The introduction of register offices
was a great imp