The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-30 00:00:00

BRITANNIA, DECEMBER 1, 1849.

Of all the wonders of industry and skill produced by England in
.he course of the year it would be diMcult to single out any one so
remarkable as this. We should pronounce the effort impossible,
were not its successful ace rmplisliment before us. Let any one con-
sider the extent of our metropolis from east to west and from north
to south—let him traverse some of its more crowded districts, and,
Passing from broad open lines of thoroughfare, dive down into
winding lanes and cross courts, imperfectly known to even the most
diligent seeker of " short cuts"—let him then stretch out into the
stenubs, and mark thd Innumerab'e lines of roads branching out in
all direction—let him glance as he goes at the various trades and
_occupations which everywhere meet his eye—and then ask himself
what must be Vie amount of labour required to collect into one book
-and range alphabetically the name, the abode, and the occupation of
every holder of every house in this mighty city. And not only so,
but to give, as it were, a chart of every square, street, a d aleY,
indicating every turning, and describing the character of every
house, and the name and calling of its inhabitant. Further Set,
to collect together every member of every craft in this huge
hive of ind usury, and to exl.ruit them, scattered as they are and
unknown to each other, in a compact form together, so that
any one tradesman, be Im a butcher, baker, or candlestick-
maker, may be picked out, without an instant's loss of time,
from the crowd of his fellows. The production of such a work,
so perfect in all its parts, and so minutely accurate, is a
striking proof of Our social progress, and, by showing how far the
science of human classification may may be carried when men arc

most thickly packed together, seems to indicate a more advanced
stage of social fellowship than we have yet reached. The most ad-
mirable feature in this marvellous work is, that its s!ze only adds to
its clearness and precision, Exhibiting so readily the humble,t
name, will' e embracing the metropol s, it puts one in mind of the
trunk of on elephant, whi2ll can pick up a needle or root up a tree.
One of its peculiarities is, that the whole bcok seems to have been
-compiled only the day befo c it is issued, so lately is every change
recorded. Even the typograiihical execution is a wonder of LIC:11.
racy ; and 11c appeorance of the whole work, thr.ughout its two
thousand pages and upwarde, Is fair and uniform, uedectiug great
credit on the press of tee Messrs, Kelly. Success so emr.plete as to
drive every competitor from the field has in no w.iy relax d the ex-
ertions of the Proprietors to cmsult the pteric coiiv silence. Tit:
v..lu.ne expands with the. metropolis itself, sod notes every change
with the fide Iy of truth itself. Every person who has had occasion
to consult it must bear testimony to its judicious arrangea cut ant
its inestimable useininess for al the var.ed thus of London bust-

ne:,s ; and to the groat saving of tiro it effevts for all purposes of re-
fer, nee. In a word, it is the targ..st collection of facts hi the word,
and the moSt compete cxpos'tion of the life and industry of the me-
tropolis that cou'd possibly be desired: