James Gedge, a pauper lunatic, had escaped from the Workhouse, having only a shirt on.
July 5th.-A Bill had been brought in by Lord Seymour and Mr. Cornewall Lewis confirming the provisional order to applying the provisions of the Board of Health Act to the town.
July 19th.-A pet.i.tion, signed by 1,550 persons, had been presented to the House, and a deputation had waited on Lord John Russell with regard to this action of the Government.
The M.P"s. for the town being in favour of the measure, "had been requested to resign the trust they had abused." This action emanated from a public meeting of ratepayers, over which. George Danby-Palmer, Esq., presided, and at which Mr. S. W. Bly, Mr. A. Ames, Mr. W. N.
Burroughs, Mr. S. V. Moore, Mr. R. Hammond, and Mr. T. Parker took part.
July 26th.-The Bill nevertheless pa.s.sed through Committee by a majority of 92 against 12.
Sir J. Walmsley had opposed and Lord Seymour supported the measure, but eventually it pa.s.sed the House of Commons without a division.
The paupers were much dissatisfied at not being allowed, as formerly, to attend places of Worship in the town on Sundays.
Mr. C. Houchen had delivered an address on this subject, and denounced the action of the Guardians.
Aug. 9th.-It was computed that many hundreds of children in the North District were entirely without the opportunity for instruction, and it was proposed to fit up the Priory as a National School to meet this want.
Evidence had been taken by the Committee of the House of Lords upon the Public Health Bill being applied to the town, and they reported the Bill to the House without amendment; thus there was a "speedy prospect of the town being well drained and made clean and healthy in spite of its one-idead rulers."
Captain Smyth, R.N., had been raised to the rank of Post-Captain.
Six hundred and thirty electors had signed a requisition calling on Messrs. Rumbold and Saunders to resign their seats as M.P"s. for the Borough. This would form a majority of the voters.
The East Norfolk and Suffolk Horticultural Show had been held under the patronage of the Mayoress, Lady Lacon, and Mr. S. C. J. Palmer.
Aug. 16th.-The 279th, and last, meeting of the Paving Commissioners had been held, when there were present-Messrs. George Danby-Palmer (in the chair), B. Dowson, W. N. Burroughs, J. Fish, C. E. Bartram, F. Palmer, J.
H. Harrison, S. V. Moore, P. White, J. Cobb, W. Crow, I. Lettis, jun., and W. H. Bessey.
Mr. Beeching"s newly-built lifeboat had been submitted to several tests opposite the Crane.
Aug. 23rd.-Mr. Beeching"s model had obtained the prize in the Lifeboat Compet.i.tion at Somerset House. There were 280 models and plans sent in, the first six boats being-James Beeching, Great Yarmouth; Henry Hinks, Appledore; J. and E. Pellew, Newbury; William Teasdel, Great Yarmouth; Harvey and Son, Ipswich, and George Farrow, South Shields.
Aug. 30th.-The Licensed Victuallers had held a large and important meeting for the purpose of protecting their interests, S. C. Marsh, Esq., in the chair.
Mr. G. Blyth (Reporter to the _Norfolk News_) had been induced to visit at night a tower in the South-End of the town, belonging to George Danby-Palmer, Esq., when he had been a.s.saulted by some person there, and of this he had complained to the Bench.
Sept. 13th.-The Justices had refused to grant any fresh licenses at the Brewster Sessions.
The "Reindeer" yawl (manned by Beachmen) had challenged the "America"
yacht to sail for 105.
Sept. 20th.-The Council meeting had been broken up, leaving 20 subjects undisposed of, owing to all the Conservatives and two or three of the Liberal members leaving the meeting, which was thus reduced below the required number to form a "quorum."
Sept. 27th.-Mr. Hilling had been appointed Town Surveyor at a salary of 30 per annum, and 250 had been proposed as the salary of the Town-Clerk, he also acting as Clerk to the newly-formed Local Board of Health. Mr. Clowes, however, declined to give his a.s.sent to serve on these terms without further consideration.
Oct. 4th.-There had been heavy gales and the Roadstead presented "a most lamentable scene, crowded with shipping, which had put in for refuge to the number of some hundreds."
Two of the vessels belonging to the Franklin Exploration Expedition were in the Roads.
Oct. 11th.-Harris Wilshak had been charged with being concerned in smuggling 14lbs. of tobacco.
At the Revision Court Mr. F. S. Costerton appeared for the Liberals, and Mr. C. Preston for the Tories. Neither party claimed any gain from the proceedings on the Parliamentary Lists, but on the Burgess Roll the Liberals claimed a gain of 19, of which 15 were in the Regent-ward, where a very warm contest was expected in November.
Oct. 18th.-Mr. J. W. Crowe had been elected Surgeon to the Hospital School.
The new Valuation Lists had increased the a.s.sessment of the parish by 47,000.
Active preparations were being made for the Munic.i.p.al contests.
Mr. Wilshak had been acquitted on the charge of smuggling.
George Deacon, known as "The Prophet," had thrown himself into the river, as he stated that it was impossible that he should sink; he would have been drowned but for the help of the bystanders. When taken to the Station House he was found to have 18, 2 old gold coins, and 21s. 6d.
upon him.
Oct. 25th.-The Priory was being fitted for National Schools.
Houchen, who had been preaching against "the powers that be," had been bound over to keep the peace in two sureties of 25 and himself in 50.
Nov. 8th.-The Munic.i.p.al Election had been hotly contested and the partizans of the winning party (the Tories) made it "a boast of having expended in the five wards a sum of money variously stated from 800 to 1,200." The following was the return given with the poll of 1850 appended to it:-
_North Ward_.
1851-219 Voters.
Mr. S. Nightingale, C. 108 Mr. W. H. Bessey, C. 103 Mr. J. Mainprice, L. 97 Mr. H. D. Palmer, L. 95 1850-208 Voters.
Mr. J. Jackson, L. 108 Mr. Burroughs, L. 105 Mr. Nightingale, C. 90 Mr. Cory, C. 68
In this Ward the Liberals headed the poll until nearly one o"clock, when a detachment of Conservative "runners" with some "dust" turned the election. The price of votes was high, and ranged from 8 to 12; and it is said that two polled for the winning party cost 20!
_Market Ward_.
1851-270 Voters.
Mr. J. E. Barnby, C. 148 Mr. J. Fenn, C. 132 Mr. John Cobb, L. 120 1850-261 Voters.
Mr. C. Aldred, C. 129 Mr. F. Worship, C. 123 Mr. Owles, L. 104 Mr. J. S. Cobb, L. 84
In this Ward the Liberals did not bring forward two candidates, being anxious to mark their approbation of Mr. Barnby"s consistent opposition to the Public Health Act; and here, as in the North Ward, their candidate headed the poll until the arrival of the other portion of Conservative workers from the Regent Ward, when a sufficient number of loose fish were immediately polled to swamp the majority, at that time about twenty. The prices of votes ranged from five pounds to ten guineas at a late hour of the day.
_Regent Ward_.
1851-244 Voters.
Sir E. H. K. Lacon, C. 115 Mr. J. Cherry, C. 114 Mr. F. Palmer, L. 101 Mr. J. Clowes, L. 90 1850-234 Voters.
Mr. Chapman, L. 104 Mr. Marsh, C. 104 Mr. Harmer, C. 93 Mr. F. Palmer, L. 84
Great exertions were used to secure the return of the out-going Councillors, and it having been almost publicly stated that the Conservatives were determined to win "at any cost," votes, in consequence, got up the night before the election to a very high premium-from 5 to 15; and "split" votes even were in very great demand at 8 and 10. One case is mentioned of a voter, in another Ward, who, forseeing the value which votes would attain, speculated in the purchase of one in this a month before the election, at the trifling sum of 3, and so profitable was the investment that on the election morning he sold it for 10. The money spent in this Ward was stated at 350.
_St. George"s Ward_.
1851-256 Voters.
Mr. R. Ferrier, jun., C. 126 Mr. H. Jay, C. 126 Mr. P. Pullyn, L. 76 Mr. J. W. Sh.e.l.ly, L. 66 1850-250 Voters.
Mr. J. Plummer, C. 130 Mr. J. C. Smith, C. 116 Mr. J. Barker, L. 101
Mr. Pullyn and Mr. R. Ferrier, jun., were the outgoing Councillors, and the former was brought forward again by the Liberals, in conjunction with Mr. Sh.e.l.ly, the Conservatives selecting Mr. H. Jay (who had formerly contested the Nelson Ward unsuccessfully) as a colleague for Mr. Ferrier.
Messrs. Pullyn and Sh.e.l.ly refused even to canva.s.s the electors, and although some of their friends solicited the suffrages of the Ward for them, there can be no doubt, however right in principle the non-canva.s.sing may be, it operated against them, and this, combined with the const.i.tutional principles upon which their election was conducted, contributed to their defeat, money being freely spent on the other side.