The London School Board, elected in 1870, under the new Education Act, has its locale at 33 New Bridge Street, Blackfriars. It has, practically speaking, almost entire control of the educational systems of the metropolis, and is armed with inquisitorial powers that remind us of the ancient Star Chamber. Still, the system of election of the members of the Board gives a certain guarantee of responsibility, that makes its prestige, at least, without suspicion.
Schools of Telegraphy are established at 138 Regent Street, W., and 24 City Road, E.C., where the art is fully instructed, to resident and non-resident pupils.
Hospitals and Charitable Institutions.—A small volume might readily be filled with a list of London’s charitable institutions. The charities connected in some way with the corporation of London are Christ’s Hospital, for boarding and educating youth, already mentioned; Bethlehem Hospital, Lambeth, for insane patients; St. Thomas’s Hospital, for treating poor patients diseased and hurt; and St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, for the same purpose. The City companies likewise support a number of beneficiary institutions, such as the Ironmongers’ Almhouses at Kingsland, and others of like kind. The following hospitals are the most important among the large number founded and supported by private benevolence:—Guy’s Hospital, Southwark; London Hospital, Whitechapel Road; Westminster Hospital, near the Abbey; St. George’s Hospital, Hyde Park Corner; Middlesex Hospital, Charles Street, Oxford Street; University College Hospital, Gower Street; St. Luke’s Hospital, for the insane, City Road; King’s College Hospital, near Clare Market; Small-Pox Hospital, Highgate Rise; the Foundling Hospital, Great Guildford Street; the Consumption Hospital, Brompton; Charing Cross Hospital, Agar Street; the Lock Hospital, Harrow Road; and the Royal Free Hospital, Gray’s Inn Road. Besides these, there are several Lying-in hospitals, a Floating hospital on the Thames, now substituted by a part of Greenwich Hospital being devoted to a similar use; various Ophthalmic hospitals, and numerous Dispensaries and Infirmaries for particular diseases. Institutions for the relief of indigent persons, Deaf and Dumb asylums, Blind asylums, and Orphan asylums, are far too numerous to be specified. In short, there are in this great metropolis about 250 hospitals, dispensaries, infirmaries, asylums, and almshouses; besides at least 400 religious, visiting, and benevolent institutions for ministering to the various ills, mental and moral, bodily or worldly, to which an immense population is always subject. It is supposed that these several institutions receive in subscriptions considerably over £2,000,000 annually. Some of the hospital buildings above named are large and majestic in appearance. When, for the Charing Cross extension of the South-Eastern Railway, St. Thomas’s Hospital and site, which formerly stood close to London Bridge Station, were purchased for a sum not very much under £300,000, it was arranged to rebuild the hospital between the south end of Westminster Bridge and Lambeth Palace. This hospital, which is now completed, affords a fine object from a steamboat passing up the river, and is certainly one of the noblest buildings of its class in Europe.
THE TOWER; THE MINT; THE CUSTOM HOUSE; THE GENERAL POST OFFICE.
This section treats of four important government buildings situated in the eastern half of the metropolis.
The Tower of London.—This famous structure, or rather group of structures, is a cluster of houses, towers, barracks, armouries, warehouses, and prison-like edifices, situated on the north bank of the Thames, and separated from the crowded narrow streets of the city by an open space of ground called Tower-hill. The Tower was founded by William the Conqueror, probably on the site of an older fortress, to secure his authority over the inhabitants of London; but the original fort which he established on the spot was greatly extended by subsequent monarchs; and in the twelfth century it was surrounded by a wet ditch, which was improved in the reign of Charles II. This ditch or moat was drained in 1843. Within the outer wall the ground measures upwards of twelve acres. Next the river there is a broad quay; and on this side also there was a channel (now closed) by which boats formerly passed into the main body of the place. This water-entrance is known by the name of Traitors’ Gate, being that by which, in former days, state prisoners were brought in boats after their trial at Westminster. There are three other entrances or postern-gates—Lion Gate, Iron Gate, and Water Gate—only two of which, however, are now used. The interior of the Tower is an irregular assemblage of short streets and courtyards, bounded by various structures. The White Tower, or Keep, is the oldest of these buildings; and the Chapel in it is a fine specimen of a small Norman church. Other towers are the Lion Tower, near the principal entrance; the Middle Tower, the first seen on passing the ditch; the Bell Tower, adjacent to it; the Bloody Tower, nearly opposite Traitors’ Gate; the Salt Tower, near the Iron Gate; Brick Tower, where Lady Jane Grey was confined; Bowyer Tower, where the Duke of Clarence is said to have been
The Mint.—This structure, situated a little north-east of the Tower, is the establishment in which the coinage is in great part made, and wholly regulated. The rooms, the machinery, and the processes for coining, are all full of interest. The assaying of the gold and silver for coinage; the alloying and melting; the casting into ingots; the flattening, rolling, and laminating of the ingots to the proper thickness; the cutting into strips, and the strips into circular blanks; the stamping of those blanks on both surfaces; and the testing to ascertain that every coin is of the proper weight—are all processes in which very beautiful and perfect apparatus is needed. Copper and bronze coins are mostly made for the government at Birmingham. From a statement made in parliament, in August, 1869, by the Right Hon. Robert Lowe, we gathered that 98 millions of sovereigns had been coined in the Mint since 1850. But of these no fewer than 44 millions had been lost to our coinage, because many of the sovereigns, being overweight, had been sent to the Continent to be melted down as bullion! There are nearly 500 millions of copper coin in circulation; and of silver coin, from crown pieces down to threepenny pieces, something like the astounding number of 286,220,000. Permission to view this interesting establishment could at one time only be obtained by special application to the Master of the Mint, who has an official residence at the spot; but since the death of the late Master, Dr. Graham, that office will not in future be filled up. A letter to the Deputy Master will probably obtain the required order to view. We should add that the removal of the Mint to Somerset House is now seriously contemplated. It is urged that the price of its present site, if sold, would readily defray cost of removal.
Custom House.—This important building, situated on the north bank of the Thames, between London Bridge and the Tower, occupies a site on which other and smaller custom houses had previously stood. The east and west ends of the present structure were finished in 1817 by Mr. Laing; but the central portion was rebuilt afterwards from the designs of Sir Robert Smirke. The river front is extensive, and although not architecturally fine, the general appearance is effective. One of the few broad terraces on the banks of the Thames is that in front of the Custom House; it is a good position from whence strangers can view the shipping in the river. The ‘Long Room’ in this building is 190 feet long by 66 broad. By way of illustrating the enormous amount of business done here, we may mention, that in the years 1867–68, the amount of Customs’ receipts collected in the port of London was more than