whose first meeting was held at the Royal Hotel, Nov. 27, 1792. Of a
slightly different nature was the "Hampden Club," established in 1815,
but which was closed by the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in 1817.
During the troublous times of 1830-40, many clubs, or "smoke-room
palavers," existed, but, perhaps the only one that really showed results
was the Branch Club (or local agency), connected with the Land Scheme of
Feargus O'Connor [see "_Land Societies_"], and that ultimately dwindled
to naught. On July 5, 1847, a club on the plan of the London
"Whittington" was started here, but when or why it ended deponent
knoweth not.--The Union Clubhouse, corner of Newhall Street and Colmore
Row, which cost £16,000, was built in 1868-9, being opened May 3rd of
the latter year. This must be considered as the chief neutral ground in
local club matters, gentlemen of all shades of politics, &c., being
members. The number of members is limited to 400, with 50 "temporary"
members, the entrance fee being £15 15s., and the annual subscription £7
7s.--The Town and District Club, opened at the Shakespeare Rooms, in
August, 1876, also started on the non-political theory: the town members
paying £3 3s per annum, and country members a guinea or guinea and half,
according to their residence being within 25 or 100 miles.--A Liberal
Club was founded October 16, 1873, under the auspices of Mr. Joseph
Chamberlain and took possession of its present rooms in Corporation
Street, January 20, 1880, pending the completion of the palatial edifice
now in course of erection in Edmund Street, at the corner of Congreve
Street. The "Forward Liberal Club," opened in Great Hampton Street,
October 30, 1880. A "Junior Liberal Club" celebrated their establishment
by a meeting in the Town Hall, November 16, 1880. The Conservatives, of
course, have not been at all backward in Club matters, for there has
been some institution or other of the kind connected with the party for
the last hundred years. The Midland Conservative Club was started July
4, 1872, and has its head-quarters now in Waterloo-street, the old