ページの画像
PDF
ePub

Communications on useful, practical, and matter-of-fact, subjects, are earnestly solicited from all our Correspondents, and from all Persons at Home and Abroad, who have opportunities of making original observations or of collecting original facts.

The late Volumes sufficiently bespeak the kindness and attention of the Friends of this Magazine, and the Editor, SIR RICHARD PHILLIPS, believes that at no period since he began this Work`in 1795-6, has it given more general satisfaction to its Readers, nor maintained a more unequivocal ascendency over all rivals than during the last two or three years. Its sale has in that, as well as in every former period, enjoyed a regular periodical increase, and the circulation is at this time equal to that of any Literary Journal in Europe.

Communications may be addressed, free of carriage or postage, to No. 7, Bridge-street, or to him at No. 5, Buckingham Gate.

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

No. 209.]

FEBRUARY 1, 1811.

[1 of VOL. 31.

A long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving their Opinions a Maximum of InRuence and Celebrity, the molt extenfively circulated Miscellany will repay with the greated Lifea the Curiofity of those who read either for Amusement or inftruction.-JOHNSON,

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

as

For the Monthly Magazine. TO question is so common whence come the inhabitants of all the new houses built in the suburbs of London?

Nothing can be more rational than such an enquiry; at least one thousand houses per annum having been finished in the suburbs of London during the last forty years--yet every new house is taken and occupied before it is finished, or its walls dry! This rate of increase being ten times greater than it was between the death of Elizabeth and the accession of the Hanoverian family, the causes may be deserving of investigation, not only as inatter of curiosity, but with reference to their connection with the soience of political economy.

As the new houses are generally of respectable size, and may be taken at the full number of eight souls to a house, the population of the metropolis is ascertained, from the occupation of the new buildings, to have increased in the present age upwards of three hundred thousand souls. So rapid an increase of inhabitants is not therefore to be accounted for on ordinary principles; and it obviously involves a variety of considerations.

It is not unusual to account for the occupation of the new streets, by advert ing to a change of manners among the citizens and the trading classes. It is said, and with truth, that the houses of trade do not satisfy the citizens of our days, and that, to avoid the smell and bustle of the shop, the dwelling-house must be at a distance. Doubtless, from this cause, many capital houses at the west end of London are occupied by billmanufacturers called bankers, by bank directors, by upstart monopolists, and successful speculators in various branches of trade. These, however, are not nu merous, probably they do not exceed five hundred families; and, as their houses of trade are generally occupied by junior MONTHLY MAC. No, 209.

partners or head clerks, and the pupils (the fashionable city-name for shop-boys and apprentices) are domesticated there, the population of the city remains nearly the same, and is probably not affected to the number of a thousand souls by the affectation and extravagancies of this class of citizens.

The sober and more respectable city familics have their country-houses at distances varying between four and ten miles from St. Paul's. These are probably ten thousand in number; but as their houses are not an integral part of the metropolis, they form, of course, no part of the population of the forty thousand new houses built within forty years in the suburbs. Even these ten thou sand families diminish but slightly the resident population of the metropolis, because they generally dwell in their town-houses in the winter season; and, in summer, these are occupied by junior partners, clerks, or shopmen.

I refer to seven causes chiefly, the aggregation of the houses and population of the suburbs of the metropolis.

1. London is not only the ancient metropolis of England and Wales, but it is now the new metropolis of the added kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland; and moreover, of our increased colonies in all parts of the world. In the reign of Elizabeth, it was the metropolis of about seven millions of people, but it is now the metropolis of an aggregation of twenty millions. It is not therefore to be wondered, without referring to other causes, that London has increased to treble its size since that time, and that the popu lation within ten miles of St. Paul's, should be four times greater. All the colonists consider London as their home; it is the focus of their correspondence and interests; their fortunes are remitted to it; and here they find pleasanter means of spending them than among their native wilds, whether in Scotland, Ireland, Yorkshire, or other districts.

These

These persons, with their families, form, beyond a doubt, a considerable portion of the new population of the suburbs of London; probably they occupy at least five thousand of the largest new houses: I shall remark, by the bye, that they also form a considerable portion of the idle inhabitants of Bath, Cheltenham, Clifton, Brighton, and other fashionable watering-places.

2. The increase of our government establishments, the treasury, the customs, the excise, army, navy, and taxoffices; and of our great trading companies, the Bank, the India-house, and others of bill-brokers, bankers, and private establishments, furnishes at least three thousand competent occupiers of the new houses. None of these establishments, or occupations, provide board and lodging for their clerks and their families; hence all houses from forty pounds to one hundred pounds per annum, in new and pleasant streets, are eagerly taken by this class, and they are constantly on the increase in their several departments.

3. Persons who live upon annuities derived from the increased public funds, and from the numerous stock companies created in the metropolis within the last twenty or thirty years, are a large class of new metropolitan housekeepers. They feel a local interest and attachment; they are, besides, in general, natives, or old residents of London; and they prefer receiving their interest in person to confiding it to any agent. These occupy at least three thousand of the new-built houses, at rents at from fifty to two hundred pounds per annum.

4. The general increase of the metropolis, by adding to the mass of luxury, has increased the number of artizans, and persons employed on objects of luxury, such as painters, engravers, jew ellers, embroiderers, authors, designers, -architects, and others of like description; and these require three thousand small habitations among the new buildings in the retired streets around the metropolis.

tenements, either on annuities, on the bounty of government, or by their labour in various departments of the arts.

6. The sixth class of independent residents in the suburbs, are an increased number of persons who have made fortunes of various amounts in trade. These occupy at least two thousand of the new houses, of all sizes.

3. Another distinct large class of residents, in the immediate environs of London, are French, Dutch, Spanish, German, Italian, and other emigrants who, during the late wars and revolutions, have fled to England, as a place of security, and who, by the alien laws, are attached to the metropolis. I estimate those to amount to about two thousand families; and they live in the smaller

7. The enormous increase of the army and navy, and the consequent increase of officers living on half-pay, and on pensions, leads to the occupation of at least two thousand houses in the immediate vicinity of London, not only for the advantages of society, but for the convenience of receiving their annuities, and improving their interests with adminis tration.

Hence, from these seven causes, we have no difficulty in accounting for the occupation of part of the recent forty thousand new houses, by the families of 5000 Colonists, and persons who have made their fortunes in the East or West Indies.

[ocr errors]

3000 Clerks in public offices, in bankinghouses, &c.

3000 Annuitants of the funds and stock companies.

3000 Artists of luxury.

2000 Emigrants of all nations.

2000 Retired traders.

2000 Officers of the army and navy.

20,000 Families.

Having thus accounted for the aug. mented population of twenty thousand houses, it is easy to conceive that as many more are greedily taken by tradesmen and others, who purpose to obtain a living out of those by trade and labour of various kinds. There will be bakers, butchers, fruiterers, grocers, publichouses, barbers, taylors, shoe-makers, hatters, carpenters, smiths, bricklayers, schoolmasters, lawyers, apothecaries, physicians, and all the varieties which compose the industrious and enterprising part of a community, supporting themselves out of the wants of the twenty thousand independent families, and also on the mutual wants of each other.

To what extent this increase of a metropolis can be advantageously carried, it is impossible to anticipate. Ancient Rome was said to be sixty miles round; and London. is not yet more than twenty. To equal ancient Rome, it must include Stratford to the east, and Brentford on the west; Hampstead and Highgate on the north; and Clapham and Camber

well

well on the south; between which places and London, there now are open spaces larger than London itself.

I confess I have my doubts about the alleged size of ancient Rome; and I sus. pect there never existed so large and populous a city as London, or as London will be, within seven years, when the new streets and squares are erected which have lately been planned on every side of the town. Twenty thousand houses are already projected in various situations; and, judging from the demand for new houses, and the uniform success which has attended building-speculations for several years past, I entertain no doubt that they will be completed and occupied within the period above-named. If we retain our foreign colonies, and the continent of Europe continues to be disturbed by revolutions and military conquest, as it has been for the last twenty years, I have no doubt but in another twenty of thirty years, the fields and roads between London and the abovementioned villages, will be filled with houses, and the population increased from three quarters of a million to a million and a half. This is the necessary consequence of increased empire, of insular security, of civil and religious liherty, and of public confidence.

It is idle to talk of limiting the extent or size of the town by law, unless you could prevent colonists, aliens, and annuitants, from coming to dwell among us. Whether the increased population should be provided for by improvements in the interual parts of the town, or whether by indefinite enlargement, is however a question worthy of consideration. Already the town is found to be of inconvenient size for social and trading purposes; the foreign or country trader, who has many calls to make, finds his time and labour wasted in going from one end of so large a town to the other. There has long ceased to be any common interest between the remote parts of so immense a city: the inhabitant of Mary le-bone is a foreigner in Wapping; and so is the inhabitant of Spital Fields, in Westminster. There are thousands who have arrived at old age in one half of London, who never visited the other half; and other thousands who never saw a ship, though London is the first port in the world. Of course, these are beings of very different habits and characters; and they possess even a varied pronunciation and peculiar idioms. For convenience of trade and association, it would be desir

able that the town should be more compact; but it is desirable in regard to health, that it should spread itself to the neighbouring villages. It is however worthy of consideration, whether the interior of the town does not draw more attention, and there can be no doubt but good streets near the centre of business, would be preferred like Finsbury Square and Chatham Place, to similar streets in remote parts of the town. A grand mall, on the plan of the Adelphi, might be built on the south side of the Thames, from London to Westminster-bridge; Smithfield might be converted into an elegant square, and some elegant streets built in its neighbourhood, on the present scites of disease and misery. A grand cross strect, from Blackfriar's-bridge to Pentonville, with good collateral streets, is much wanted. In short, most of the old streets in the centre of the town, are as worthy of building-speculation as scites in the suburbs. Cross streets are every where wauted; and half a dozen squares northward of the city, would answer as well as Finsbury Square: St. Martin's-le-Grand should be pulled down, and Aldersgate-street carried straight, and of equal width, to meet Newgatestreet, at the area which terminates Cheapside. Bartholomew Close might be converted into another elegant square; and Charterhouse-square would be a desirable residence, if connected with the town by Aldersgate-street; as would St. John's-square, if united by a good street with Smithfield-square. It is impolitic and senseless to carry the town to Highgate, Hampstead, and Clapham, when so bad a use is made of its internal parts; where whole districts consist almost of waste ground, or are occupied by beggary and wretchedness.

I have often marvelled at the want of concert and general plan with which the extensive suburbs are raised, after reading the lamentations of writers in regard to the neglect of all plan, in rebuilding the city after the great fire. We see street on street rising every where, without any general design; every undertaker build ing after his own fancy, and to suit the patch of ground of which he is the mas ter. Perhaps it is now too late for parliament to prescribe the plan of future erections; or rather, in this free country magnificence must yield to convenience, and a fancied public good, to private interest.

In conclusion, I shall observe, that great cities contain in their very greatness

greatness, the seeds of premature and
rapid decay. London will increase, as
long as certain causes operate which she
cannot controul, and after those cease to
operate for a season, her population will
require to be renewed by new supplies
of wealth; these failing, the houses will
become too numerous for the inhabi-
tants, and certain districts will be occu-
pied by beggary and vice, or become
depopulated. This disease will spread
like an atrophy in the human body, and
ruin will follow ruin, till the entire city
is disgusting to the remnant of the inha-
bitants; they flee one after another to a
more thriving spot; and at length the
whole becomes a heap of ruins! Such
have been the causes of the decay of all
overgrown cities. Nineveh, Babylon,
Antioch, and Thebes, are become heaps
of ruins, tolerable only to reptiles and
wild beasts. Rome, Delhi, and Alex-
andria, are partaking the same inevita-
ble fate; and London must some time,
from similar causes, succumb under the
destiny of every thing human.
Dec. 13, 1810.

COMMON SENSE.

For the Monthly Magazine.
THE ENQUIRER.-No. XXVII.
Is uniformity of Religious Opinion de-

sirable in the State?

These institutions are the products of en

It is thus with religion.-Every eminent teacher chooses a different point of view. The Popish delineator of Christianity witlingly withdraws from his devotees the discussion of doctrine, and aims at im. pressing the sentiments of the church by the arts of eloquence and music-of painting and sculpture. The Bucerist relies more on an industry addressed to the mind than to the senses; on the perpetual repetition of vernacular liturgies: his appeal is to a public of less taste, but of more literature. The Calvinist argues

and terrifies: his scripture is the law of God-his God a pitiless lawgiver; and he corroborates by terrestrial excommunica tions the terrors of his threatened futurity: he allies himself with fear, the most prolific parent of superstitions. The Unitarian trusts to the shortness of his creed, for its eventual adoption. So many more articles of religion are taught in the cate chisms than are retained in the progress of enquiry, that a wish often supervenes in mid-life to be fettered with the fewest possible dogmas, and to sit under the teacher who exacts least of a positive creed. Why may not instructors of each description find an appropriate public, disseminate in that public a purer moral zeal, and a warmer activity of beneficence; and thus ripen a greater crop of national virtue, than could bave been

thusiasm; they are the instruments of wis grown by any one of these four classes of

dom. BURKE.

I'

F half a dozen painters were employed to take a view of Saint Paul's Church, the one would place himself in front, and bring out its majestic vestibule; a second would include in his sketch the semicir cular portal on the side; a third would choose his station behind, on the roofs of the houses, that nothing below might with draw attention from the stately dome; a fourth would place himself at the ruins of the Albion-mill, that the colossality of the cathedral might be rendered obvious from a comparison with surrounding objects: and others would select for delineation, a transverse or a longitudinal section of the inside. These imitations, though differing widely from each other, might all be faithful alike, and executed with equal

skill.

Why should any patent or privilege, be given to the engraver of the second, or third, of these drawings, to vend exclusively his view of Saint Paul's? Let them all be etched, and exposed to sale; the antiquary may prefer the one, the dilettante another, the architect a third, representation,

teachers singly? On the supposition of an exclusive, or uniform, public religion, three out of the four denominations would want adapted guides.

The more closely human life is observed, the more it will be perceived, that all the different sects of Christianity have their several merits and excellencies-their several defects and inconveniences: but to suppose that there can be danger from any one of them, to the good order of society, and to the eventual happiness of mankind, is to blaspheme the founder of the religion. Sects arise by selecting pe culiar passages of Scripture for habitual attention: the emphatic texts of one society are insignificant phrases in the next conventicle. Hence it naturally happens that some sects carry one virtue, others another, to the highest practicable excellence; and it is well that men should addict themselves to those religious parties which enforce the line of conduct most adapted to their constitutional disposition. Thus they are more easily known. The philosophic sects of antiquity classed mankind conveniently: every one was aware what conversation and habits, and morals,

to

« 前へ次へ »