Part 76 (1/2)

Jan. 26th.-A meeting had been held to relieve the distress of the poor, when 289 was raised in the room.

Dr. Moxon had presided at the anniversary meeting of the ”Sir Edmund Lacon” Lodge, N.I.O.F., held at the Volunteer tavern.

Feb. 23rd.-The Corporation had held a meeting for the purpose of electing two Haven Commissioners under the recently pa.s.sed Haven Act, when the voting was-

For Mr. Charles Cory (Town-clerk) 25 ,, ,, Robert Steward 24 ,, ,, E. H. L. Preston 22

Mr. Preston thus losing his seat on the Board, and that gentleman, after regretting that Mr. Youell, (the Mayor) and others should have ”put such an insult upon him,” stated ”that he severed himself from such a disgraceful party.”

Feb. 27th.-Mr. Rumbold had been unanimously elected (in the place of Harbert retired), one of the relieving officers.

March 2nd.-The Norfolk and Suffolk Building Society had held a meeting at the Oddfellows'-hall, Gorleston, when Mr. W. J. Brand presided, and addresses were delivered by Messrs. F. Palmer, L. Blake, J. F. Neave, Ling, Sacret, and W. S. Page.

On the revision of the Proxy Book, Mr. C. Diver had appeared for the Conservatives and Mr. F. Danby-Palmer for the Liberals.

Mr. Copeman, of Long Stratton, had purchased No. 4, South-quay, (the Elizabethan mansion restored by the late John Danby-Palmer, Esq.), for 1,150 and 60 for fixtures.

Eighteen hundred and sixty-seven changes had been rung on St. Nicholas'

bells on the 1st and 2nd inst., by the Parish ringers.

March 6th.-The proposal of the Government to disfranchise the Borough was the subject of general comment.

W. H. Bessey, Esq., J.P. and Town Councillor, had died in his 68th year.

March 9th.-The Town Council had adopted a pet.i.tion to Parliament deprecating the proposed disfranchis.e.m.e.nt of the Borough.

Lord Bury (accompanied by Mr. F. Danby-Palmer) was sounding the const.i.tuency of East Norfolk with a view to contesting the division upon the next vacancy.

The seat on the newly constructed Haven Board held by the s.h.i.+powners had been contested with the following result:-

For Mr. Watling 191 Mr. Scott 91

And the former was consequently elected.

March 13th.-The Conservative electors had met at the ”Star” (W. Wors.h.i.+p, Esq., in the chair), and proposed, if disfranchis.e.m.e.nt could be avoided, a compromise as to the future representation of the Borough.

March 16th.-The Liberals had also held a meeting at the ”Angel,” when the majority of those present repudiated the suggested compromise; Mr. R.

Hammond (chairman), Mr. J. Clowes, Mr. J. Lawn, Mr. R. Barber, Mr. J.

Garratt, Mr. L. Blake, Mr. J. W. de Caux, Mr. W. Livingston, Sir Thomas Beevor, and Mr. J. Scott took part in this discussion.

April 6th.-There had been a ”Magisterial field-day” for the appointment of Overseers, when the following Justices were present:-Conservatives-The Mayor and Messrs. R. Steward, C. C. Aldred, J. Fenn, B. Jay, J. C. Smith, J. C. Clark, and F. Wors.h.i.+p; and Liberals-Messrs. R. Hammond, P. Pullyn, F. Palmer, J. Owles and J. Scott. The Tory nominees were appointed after a warm altercation, in which Mr. Steward, Mr. Hammond, Mr. Palmer and Mr.

Aldred took prominent parts.

The following Guardians had been elected:-

_North Ward_: Messrs. S. Nightingale, J. T. Buston, and J. F. Neave.

_Market Ward_: Messrs. W. Laws, C. C. Aldred, and J. Rivett.