ger. Perhaps they are
quite right; perhaps they are more honest, more sensible, more sound
politicians, than any other British community. Perhaps, too, they are
cleaner, more sober, and better educated than the towns of A, B, and C; but,
without entering into comparisons, which, in such cases, are of no practical
benefit, we shall proceed to show that, with all their excellent industrious,
intelligent, and ingenious qualities, the people of Birmingham are much more
dirty, drunken, and uneducated than they ought to be, considering that the
town is in a very healthy situation; that the mass of the population is
engaged in skilled employments, and that patriots, bearded and unbearded, are
plentiful, who seem to have a great deal of influence, for good or evil.

First, then, as to drunkenness, the great parent of British poverty and
crime--drunkenness, which is a greater tax upon us than the National Debt; let
us see what share that has in the grievances of Birmingham.

It appears that in 1850 there were, including hotels, taverns, gin-shops, and
beer-shops, altogether 1293 establishments for the supply of intoxicating
liquors. The total number of houses in the borough being 43,000, it results
that in every 33 houses one is a wine, beer, or spirit shop. That as the
number of bakers' and chandlers' shops is only 871, there are 422 more shops
engaged in selling drink than in selling bread, and if only four persons be
supposed to be supported by selling liquors, that will be more than twice as
many as are engaged in the gun trade, viz., 2400. Or to put the calculation
in another form, if we allow the sum of 50 pounds per annum as the wages of
the five thousand persons who live by the sale of intoxicating drinks, it
will be found that the people of Birmingham must expend at least a quarter of
a million on wine, beer, and spirits.

That too much is so expended is proved by the police returns, which show that
out of 3400 persons taken into custody in 1849, nearly half the offences
arose from intoxication.

In other respects, considering the population, the crime of Birmingham is
rather below than above average. It cannot be said that it is either a
brutal or dishonest, but it is essentially a drunken town. The causes of the
prevalence of this degrading vice are several, and may be traced out very
clearly.

Metal work is hard and thirsty work, but it may be doubted whether what is
really drunk while at work, or immediate