at L40 a year for 99 years), and on the 23rd of April, 1851, the corner-stone was laid of the present handsome establishment near to Church Road, the total cost of completion being about L7,000.  Nearly another L7,000 has since been expended in the erection of workrooms, master’s residence, in furniture, musical instruments, tools, &c., and the Institution may be considered in as flourishing a condition as any in the town.  The 37th annual report (to Lady-day, 1884), stated that the number of in-door pupils during the past year had been 86—­viz., 51 males and 35 females.  In the same period 4 paid teachers, 15 out-door blind teachers and workmen, and 4 females had been employed.  The number of adult blind residing at their own homes, and visited by the blind teachers engaged in this department of the work was 253.  The total number of persons benefited by the institution was therefore 362.  The financial statement showed that the expenditure had been L6,067 2s. 7d., of which L1,800 had been invested in Birmingham Corporation Stock.  The receipts amounted to L6,403 7s. 9d., leaving a balance of L336 5s. 2d. in the treasurer’s hands.  The statement of receipts and payments on behalf of the adult blind home-teaching branch, which are kept separately, showed a balance due to the treasurer of L71 5s. 9d.

Bloomsbury Institution.—­Commencing in 1860 with a small school, Mr. David Smith has gradually founded at Bloomsbury an institution which combines educational, evangelistic, and missionary agencies of great value to the locality.  The premises include a mission hall, lecture room, class rooms, &c., in addition to Cottage Homes for orphan and destitute children, who are taught and trained in a manner suited to the future intended for them in Canada.  The expenditure of the Institution is now about L1,500 a year, but an amount equal to that is wanted for enlargement of buildings, and other philanthropists will do well to call upon their brother Smith.

Children’s Day Nursery, The Terrace, Bishopgate Street, was first opened in 1870, to take care of the children in cases where the mothers, or other guardians, have to go to work.

About 6,000 of the little ones are yearly looked after, at a cost of somewhat under L200.  Parties wishing to thus shelter their children must prove the latter’s legitimacy, and bring a recommendation from employer or some one known to the manager.

Children’s Emigration Homes, St. Luke’s Road.—­Though ranking among our public institutions, the philanthropic movement of picking up the human waifs and strays of our dirty back streets may be said to have hitherto been almost solely the private work of our benevolent townsman, Mr. Middlemore.  The first inmate received at the Homes (in 1872) was a boy who had already been in prison three times, and the fact that that boy is now a prosperous man and the owner of a large farm in Canada, should be the best of all claims to the sympathy and co operation