BERWICK-ON-TWEED, is seaport t. at the mouth of the Tweed, 58 in. from Edinburgh. It is the frontier town of England and Scotland, and with its liberties. comprising an area of about 8 in., forms an independent borough and county by itself separate from England and Scotland; and since the municipal reform act of 1835, its proper designation is "county of the borough and town of Berwick-upon-Tweed." It has its own quarter sessions and recorder, its own magistrates and petty sessions, and maintains its own police staff. The muuicipal and parliamentary boroughs are co-ex tensive. Pop. '71, 13,282, an increase since 1801 of 17; inhabited houses;' 2092. increase, 209; constituency, 1148, returning two members of parliament. The past history of B. is full of interest, especially in regard to the border wars. The authentic records of IL begin in the reign of Alexander 1_ 12th c., when it was one of the principal seaports in the kingdom. B. finally passed into the possession of England in 1482. The town has an antiquated and somewhat decaying appearance. It is girded with old fortifications, and has large barracks. Tweednionth and Spittal (the latter a favorite watering-place), on the a side of the Tweed, both within the municipality of IL, are reached by an old stone bridge, and a magnificent viaduct of 28 arches spans the river, and connects the North-eastern with the NorthBritish railway. The belonging to the port in
1875 was 25, tonnage, 1459, besides 576 fishing-boats. The harbor commissioners resolved, with a view of resuscitating the trade of the port. to construct a wet dock. at a cost of £40,000; this undertaking, commenced in 1873, is now completed. Of recent years the salmon tishings have improved. hut the herring fishing has declined. For the manufacture of agricultural implements B. stauds high, and in Spittal there are several large artificial-manure works. It has 20 places of worship, 4 belonging to church of England, 3 to church of Scotland, 4 Eng. Presbyterian, 4 IL P., and 5 of other denomi nations; 14 day-schools. including corporation's academy. Public institutions include infirmary and 'dispensary, museum. literary institute. and subscription library. Besides several new ecclesiastical edifices and schools erected of late years, a freemasons' ball, a good templars' ball, and a mission hall were built In 1873.