suffered themselves to be led astray by interested demagogues; but since 1842 there have been no serious disturbances of the peace, though at that time, the writer saw cannon planted at New Cross, and was stoned by a mob of women and boys for venturing to indulge his curiosity by visiting a mill which had been attacked by the rioters, and which was then surrounded by a guard of soldiery.

The Manchester and Liverpool Railway, opened in 1830, proved, by its success, the commencement of a new epoch in the history of the town, and indeed in that of the whole world; and with this brief note of that event, we find ourselves landed at once in the Manchester of modern times.

MODERN MANCHESTER.

MUNICIPAL.

THE Manchester Town Hall, situated in King-street, is a handsome stone building externally, but placed, unfortunately, upon a very confined site, is totally built up at the back, and has upon the south side only a very narrow opening between it and the large pile known as the York Hotel Chambers, so that it is difficult to obtain a favourable position from which to see it. Internally, it has undergone many alterations, and it now possesses a very elegant hall, and double staircase leading to the large room in which the meetings of the citizens are held, to the Mayor's parlour, which contains the Corporation library (an exceedingly valuable collection of books and Parliamentary papers, etc., first

founded in 1844), and to various rooms and offices for the transaction of business connected with the city, to which purpose also the ground floor is devoted.

The first stone of the building was laid upon the 19th of August, 1822, by James Brierley, Esq., the then Boroughreeve. The architect was Mr. Goodwin, and the estimated cost £28,000, including £6,500 for the purchase of land, but the total cost up to 1838, the year of the Incorporation of the Borough, exceeded £40,000, and various alterations have been since made. The general design is said to have been taken from the Temple of Erectheus at Athens, and

that of the Dome from the octagonal tower of Andronicus, known as the Temple of the Winds. There are portrait medallions of Pythagoras and Locke, Lycurgus and Judge Hale, upon the front; and statues of Solon and Alfred are placed in niches prepared for them. The ground plot is 136 feet long by 76 feet deep, but the building has been found far too small for the growing requirements of the city, and extensive ranges of offices have been added to it at the back, for the accommodation chiefly of the clerks and others connected with the Water-works. One portion also of these added buildings is devoted to the purposes of the City Court of Record. The entrance is through the Town Hall; the Water-works offices may be reached either from Crossstreet, or by passing through the Town Hall from King-street. The basement story is used for the accommodation of the A division of the Police Force, and the Detective Police of the City are housed in the western portion, having an entrance from Cheapside.

The large room for meetings was originally defaced by a series of paintings, supposed to have reference to the city and its commerce; but these have happily been removed, and the room is at present decorated only by a series of portraits of eminent citizens. Disposed in this room, and upon the staircase, are portraits of Sir Thomas Potter, by Bradley; of Sir Elkanah Armitage, by Horner; of Joseph Brotherton, Esq., M.P., by Bradley; of James Kershaw, Esq., M.P., by Bradley; of Alexander Kay, Esq., W. B. Watkins, Esq., Sir John Potter, M.P., George Wilson, Esq., Mark Philips, Esq., and of C. J. S. Walker, Esq., all by George Patten, R.A.; and of William Nield, Esq., by Faulkner. The city is also in possession of a drawing

of the Royal Manchester Exchange, by E. Walker, representing the interior of the building during the presentation of an address to Her Majesty, on the 10th of October, 1851; of a picture by G. F. Watts, "The Good Samaritan ;" and of one by W. Brockenden, "The Vision of the Chariots to the Prophet Zechariah." A fine bust of Her Majesty, by Noble, is placed upon the staircase.

The offices for the transaction of business connected with the supply of gas, are situated in York Hotel Chambers, adjoining the Town Hall.

As mentioned in a former page, Manchester was empowered by charter, granted in 1301, to elect its own Boroughreeve, and the due ordering of the town was committed to him from that time until the year 1791, when an Act of Parliament was obtained, appointing Commissioners for lighting, watching, and cleansing the conjoined towns of Manchester and Salford, whose powers remained in force until 1830, when, by another Act, a separate body of Commissioners was appointed for Salford alone. The practice for a great number of years had been to appoint a separate body of Commissioners for each town, and to make distinct rates and assessments; and so far the effect of this Act was merely to confirm arrangements previously made; but the constitution of the Manchester Commissioners of Police was also modified by it. In the year 1838, however, Manchester was incorporated by Royal Charter, under date of the 23rd of October, and on the 14th of December following the first election of Councillors took place. The Council met next day, and elected Thomas Potter, Esq., as the first Mayor of the Borough. The validity of the Charter was disputed, and it was probably owing to this

cause that Salford was not incorporated until nearly six years later, the Charter of Incorporation for that Borough having been granted on the 16th of April, 1844, under the provisions of which William Lockett, Esq. was elected Mayor for that year.

The Charter of Incorporation for Manchester prescribed that the Council of the Borough should consist of a Mayor, sixteen Aldermen, and forty-eight Councillors; and that the Borough should be divided into fifteen Wards, those namely of New Cross, St. Michael's, Collegiate Church, St. Clement's, Exchange, Oxford, St. James's, St. John's, St. Ann's, All Saints', St. Luke's, St. George's, Medlock-street, Ardwick, and Cheetham. A Court of Record for the trial of actions, where the sum or damages sought to be recovered should not exceed twenty pounds, was also granted by the Charter.

At this period, the Constabulary Force of the Borough amounted to 268 men, including officers; and one of the first acts of the Council was to increase the force to 343 men, including Head Constable, Superintendents, Inspectors, Lock-up Keepers, and Clerks.

The Charter being in dispute, it was found necessary by Government to take the police of the Borough from under the control of both the local bodies, and an Act was passed in 1839, for improving the Police in Manchester, to be in force for two years, and from thence until the end of the then Session of Parliament. Under the provisions of this Act Sir Charles Shaw was appointed Chief Commissioner of Police in the Borough.

It was not until the 24th of June, 1843, that the Council entered fully upon the enjoyment of the privileges granted