Reform Leagues.—The first local affair of this kind that we have note of (though likely enough there had been "reform clubs" before that date) seems to have originated at a meeting of some dozen or so gentlemen at the Royal Hotel, Dec 14, 1829. On the 25th of Jan., 1830, a public meeting to organise a kind of local political body was held at Beardsworth's Repository, and it is chronicled that about 15,000 persons were present. The result was the formation of the celebrated Birmingham Political Union, though the full name was "The General Political Union between the Lower and Middle Classes of the People." The Union's "Petition of Rights" was issued Dec. 13, and the "Declaration of Council" Dec. 20, 1830. This is not the place to enter upon a history of the doings of the Political Union, which was dissolved by mutual consent of the leaders May 10, 1834, but there can be no doubt that it did have considerable influence on the political changes of the period. In 1848 an attempt was made to resuscitate the Old Union, though the promoters of the new organisation called it the "Political Council," and in 1865 another League or Union was started, which has a world-wide fame as "The Caucus." Indeed, it may be safely said the town has never, during the past sixty years or so, been without some such body, the last appointed being the "Reform League," started Sept. 2, 1880, by the Rev. Arthur O'Neill and his friends, to agitate for a change in the Constitution of the House of Lords.
Reform Meetings.—We have had a few big meetings of the kind one time and another, and give the dates of the principal. Newhall Hill used to be the favourite spot, and the first meeting held there was on January 22, 1817.—On July 22, 1819, there were 60,000 there, and a member was chosen to represent the town in Parliament. (See "[Newhall Hill].") The meeting of October 3, 1831, had only 150,000 persons at it, but May 7, in following year, saw 200,000 on the Hill.—The "great" Reform meetings at Brookfields were on August 27, 1866, and April 22, 1867.—A procession to, and demonstration at Soho Pool, Aug. 4, 1884, at which 100,000 persons are said to have been present, is the last big thing of the kind.
Regattas.—Usually the A1 amusement of places blessed with sea or river space, but introduced to us (Aug 2, 1879), on the Reservoir, by the Y.M.C.A., whose members had to compete with some crack rowers from Evesham, Shrewsbury, Stratford, Stourport, and Worcester.
Registers.—At what date a parish register was first kept here is not known, but Mr. Hamper, the antiquarian, once found some old parts stowed away under the pulpit staircase, and he had them bound and preserved. There are very few perfect registers in this neighbourhood, though Aston can boast of one dated from 1544, King's Norton 1547, Handsworth 1558, Northfield 1560, Castle Bromwich 1659, and Moseley 1750—The Registration Act was passed Aug. 17, 1836.
Register Offices.—The custom of hiring servants at "statute fairs" and "mops" still exists in theory if not in practice, in several parts of the adjoining counties but thanks to the low scale for advertising, such a system is not needed now. The introduction of register offices was a great improvement, the first opened in Birmingham being at 26, St. John Street (then a respectable neighbourhood), in January 1777, the fee being 6d. for registering and 3d. for an enquiry. There are a number of respectable offices of this kind now, but it cannot be hidden that there have been establishments so called which have been little better than dens of thievery, the proprietors caring only to net all the half-crowns and eighteen-pences they could extract from the poor people who were foolish enough to go to them.
Rejoicing, Days of.—Great were the rejoicings in Birmingham, October 9, 1746, when the news came of the battle of Culloden. The capture of Quebec, in 1759, was celebrated here on December 3, by a gneral illumination; the peace-loving Quakers, however, had to rejoice over broken windows, for the mob smashed them, one unfortunate Friend having to provide 115 squares of glass before his lights were perfect again. We were loyal in those days, and when we heard of our gallant boys thrashing their opponents, up went our caps, caring not on whose heads lay "the blood-guiltiness," and so there was shouting and ringing of bells on May 20, 1792, in honour of Admiral Rodney and his victory. The next great day of rejoicing, however, was for the Peace of Amiens in 1802, and it was notable the more especially from the fact of Soho Works being illuminated with gas, for the first time in the world's history used for such a purpose. In 1809, we put up the first statue in all England to the hero of Trafalgar, and we made the 6th of June the day to rejoice over it, because forsooth, it happened to be the jubilee day of George the Third. What he had done for us to rejoice about would be hard to tell; even more difficult is the query why we were so gleeful and joyous on February 1, 1820, when his successor was proclaimed. George IV.'s Coronation was celebrated here by the public roasting of oxen, and an immense dinner party in front of Beardsworth's Repository.
Religious Queerosities.—Among all its multifarious manufactures it would have been strange, indeed, if Birmingham had not produced something new in religious matters, and accordingly we find that in 1840 some of our advanced townsmen had formed themselves into a "Universal Community Society of Rational Religionists." We have not met with a copy of their rules, though Tidd Pratt registered them as of a Friendly Society (under cap. 4, Will. IV.), but the county magistrates, at the November Quarter Sessions would not pass them nor seal them. Of late years there have been introduced amongst us several other curiosities in the way of religious bodies, like the Theists, the Polytheists, the Positivists, the Secularists, the Latter-day Saints, and others.
Religious Societies.—In addition to those noted elsewhere, there have been many societies formed here which may come under this heading, such as the Lay Association for the Refutation of Infidelity, founded in 1839; the Protestant Association, commenced in 1847; the Christian Evidence Society, began in 1869; the Church Defence and Reform Association, formed in 1871, the Protestant and Church Association, inaugurated May 23, of same year, &c.
Repository.—Before the building of the Town Hall, there was no place in which a town's meeting could be held, except the Public Office in Moor Street, besides Beardsworth's Repository. As its name implies, it was originally built as a sale-room for horses and carriages, but some of the most important meetings known in Birmingham history have been held within its walls, grand banquets were often laid out there, popular lecturers have discoursed, and popular pugilists exhibited their prowess in the same arena, and the building has even been used as a barracks.
Republicanism.—In 1873 a small band of Brummagem bouncers patriotically provided us with a real "Republican Club," and proud of the feat announced the world-stirring fact to the "Hero of Caprera." The simple honest-hearted General, who knew not the guile of their hearts, was deluded into wishing them success. Ten years have passed since "Mio Caro Cattell" secured Garibaldi's autograph, but still Victoria remains Queen of Great Britain, Empress of Hindostan, and the best-beloved sovereign on the earth.