buildings were set in a row they would reach
across the whole of England and France, from York to the Pyrenees.

When the stone in Panyer's Alley was placed on its site three centuries
since, the circumference was about five miles. At present, however, to
make a pedestrian expedition around the metropolis would, to most
persons, be an undertaking of some importance, as may be seen by
referring to the following particulars, which have been gathered from a
recently published map:--From Chiswick to Kentish-town, 12 miles; from
Kentish-town to Millwall, 17.5 miles; from Millwall to Chiswick, 28
miles--total, 57.5 miles, very nearly three days' journey, at the rate of
20 miles a day; and it will be observed that in the line drawn,
Battersea, Clapham, Canning-town, and many other places, which even at
present can be scarcely said to be separated from London, have been left
out. "As the crow would fly" across streets and houses from the point
whence we started at Chiswick to the farthest east, the distance is
nearly eleven miles, and the greatest width from north to south upwards
of seven miles. The metropolis is divided into 38 different poor-law
districts, some of them parishes, and some of them unions, but each
managing separately their own poor. Of these, 27 are in Middlesex, two
in Kent, and nine in Surrey. Of the 27 in Middlesex, 10 are unions of
various extent; 17 are single parishes, many of them of great extent, and
comprising a large amount of property and population. The unions in
Middlesex consist of a small number of parishes, two consisting of two
parishes, two of three, one of five, one of four, one of six, one of
seven, and one of nine parishes. The city of London consists of 98
parishes, some of them small in extent, but containing a large amount of
property and population. The unions in Kent consist of four and seven
parishes. Of the nine in Surrey three are unions, consisting, one of two
parishes, another of three, and the third of six parishes. The remaining
six are all single parishes, each administering its own affairs. The
total population of these districts is 2,500,000; the average number of
paupers to be dealt with 105,000; the amount of expenditure for the year
ending Lady-day, 1856, was 875,000 pounds; and the net rateable value of
the property contributing to the relief of the poor was 10,900,000
pounds. The proportion which the metropolis bore to the whole of England
and Wales was, as