June 7, 1773—The Commissioners appointed by or acting in Pursuance of the several Acts of Parliament lately Passed for laying open and widening the Streets, Ways, and Passages in Birmingham aforesaid, mentioned in the respective Schedules to the said Act annexed, and for other Purposes therein mentioned, do hereby give Notice, (according to the Directions of the said Act, or one of them,) that they intend to treat with the Proprietors of the Houses and Buildings, situate at the End of New-Street, and in the High-Street, now or late in the respective Occupations of Mr. Wm. Hutton, John Greaves, John Terry, Catherine Wright, Magdalen Hazard, Richard Walford, and John Ensell, for the Purchase of the same, or so much thereof as they shall think necessary to be taken down, in order to render the Entrance into New-Street safe and commodious; and any Persons willing to advance Money upon the Credit of the Rates by the said Acts directed to be raised, or to purchase Annuities out of the same, are requested to apply to the Commissioners, at the Office in Spiceal-Street. on Wednesday next, at Ten o'Clock in the Forenoon, and the Wednesday following at that Time, or to their Clerk, at No. 31, New-Street, in Birmingham aforesaid.
By Order of the Commissioners.
Thomas Steward.
In 1780 another application was made to Parliament for the purposes contained in the following notice:—
Birmingham, Monday, February 14, 1780.—On Monday last, a Petition, signed by sixteen of the Commissioners of Lamps and Scavengers in this Town, was presented to the House of Commons, praying for Leave to bring in a Bill to empower them to take down certain Buildings which at present greatly incommode the Public Market, and to make such other Alterations as may be found expedient for the Safety, Ease and convenient Accommodation of the Inhabitants and the Public in general.
And so the work of improvement went on. In time the oil lamp gave place to gas; but we must not forget the good begun by our forefathers in 1765 and completed in 1769. It is the earliest record of a great local contest, and it is encouraging to learn that liberal and disinterested intelligence won the victory. It was the happy augury of many such triumphs since obtained.
