Aug. 5th.—There had been a monstre Liberal Demonstration, when Mr. A. W.
Young and Mr. J. Mellor, Q.C., were accepted as the candidates of that
party. Some 10,000 to 12,000 persons were present.
Aug. 8th.—Among the Tories “vacillation, uncertainty, and lukewarmness
prevailed.” Sir Samuel Hogg, Mr. Mackenzie, and Sir Henry Stracey had
been tried without avail.
The Hon. Ernest Duncombe had visited the Borough, and left without taking
further action; so Sir Edmund Lacon was still alone in the field as a
Conservative candidate.
Aug. 13th.—Sir E. Lacon had retired from the contest.
The nomination had taken place outside the Town Hall, when Mr. J. W.
Shelly proposed, and Mr. H. Danby-Palmer seconded Mr. A. W. Young; and
Mr. R. Hammond proposed, and Mr. P. Pullyn seconded Mr. J. Mellor, Q.C.,
and there being no other nomination, those gentlemen were declared duly
elected.
Messrs. McCullagh and Watkin subsequently addressed the electors from the
Star Hotel.
Aug. 23rd.—About 90 ladies and gentlemen had attended the Race Ball at
the Town Hall.
Mr. Allen’s tender of £3,156 11s. 5d. for the erection of the Britannia
Pier, and Mr. Thompson’s tender of £200 for making the approaches to it,
had been accepted.
Herrings were selling at from £20 to £26 per last.
Sept. 12th.—A new organ had been built for St. Peter’s Church at a cost
of £400.
Sept. 23rd.—The Mayor had convened a meeting for the purpose of raising a
fund for the relief of the sufferers by the Indian Mutiny. Among those
present were—Sir Eaton Travers, the Revs. G. Hills, J. S. Russell, J. B.
Brampton, B. Vaux and D. Oliver, Dr. Dunne, and Messrs. J. W. Shelly, S.
Tolver, P. Pullyn, J. G. Fisher, R. Ferrier, sen., S. Dowson, A. R.
Palmer, G. Blake, E. P. Youell, C. Preston, E. R. Aldred, W. Davie, &c.;
the sum of £233 17s. was subscribed in the room.
Sept. 30th.—The following shareholders had attended the ordinary general
meeting of the Yarmouth and Haddiscoe Railway Company:—Sir E. H. K. Lacon
(Chairman), Sir M. Peto, R. Hammond, J. Clowes, B. Fenn, C. E. Bartram,
and W. H. Palmer, Esqs., &c., and power was given to the Directors to
raise £25 000 by way of mortgage.
Oct. 3rd.—The Britannia Pier Works were being actively pushed on.
Mr. J. H. Harrison (the Ballast lessee) had called a meeting of 120
masters of vessels at the St. George’s Hall, for the purpose of receiving
a statement from that gentleman, during which he said that he proposed to
give a donation of £8 to the Fishermen’s Hospital, which sum he had
received from a dispute (in which he did not concur) with the
Corporation. Mr. Harrison was loudly cheered by the meeting, which he
regaled with choice wines and spirits.
The Rev. J. S. Russell had preached his farewell sermon at the King
Street Chapel, where he had laboured for the past 14 years.
Oct. 10th.—The Day of National Fast and Humiliation had been observed in
the town “in a most becoming manner.”
Herring was selling at from £10 to £18 per last.
Oct. 17th.—Three hundred pounds had been collected for the Indian Relief
Fund.
Oct. 21st.—Contains the following report:—“A Vestry meeting was held in
the Town-hall, on Friday, for the purpose of considering the propriety of
making a Church rate. There was a large attendance; the minister of the
parish (the Rev. G. Hills, B.D.), of course presided.—The Chairman, in
opening the proceedings, stated that the rate which would be proposed
would be, in all respects, a legal one; it would include a charge for St.
Peter’s Church, as the Churchwardens had been advised that that edifice
was chargeable upon the rate in the same way that the Parish Church was.
With regard to the new church of St. John’s, a fund had been raised which
would be invested for keeping it in repair, so that it might never become
chargeable to the parishioners. The Churchwardens, in order to preserve
as much harmony as possible, would only ask for a rate for the repair of
the fabrics, and for the payment of such legal charges as they were
compelled to include in the rate; the items which would be left out
would, therefore, amount to between £60 and £70, and would have to be
defrayed by voluntary contribution.—Messrs. C. S. D. Steward and E. R.
Aldred, the Churchwardens, moved and seconded that a rate of 1½d. in the
pound be levied for the ensuing year; the amounts which it was estimated
would be required were—for the Parish Church, £142 5s. 4d.; for St.
George’s Chapel, £32 6s. 6d.; for St. Peter’s Church £32; and for general
purposes £35.—Mr. W. T. Fisher moved, and Mr. J. Lawn seconded, “That at
a time when it is expected that the Government will pass a bill for the
abolition of Church rates, it appears to this vestry that it is
inexpedient to increase the rates by including St. Peter’s Church, as it
may ultimately add to increased taxation.” Mr. Fisher also moved, and
Mr. Joseph Neave seconded, “That time be given for the ratepayers to
examine the estimates, and that the meeting do therefore adjourn for
three weeks for that purpose.”—The Chairman refused to put either of the
above amendments—the first because Mr. Fisher would not alter it by
leaving out the words “By including St. Peter’s Church,” and the second
because he did not consider it to be a _bona fide_ objection.—Mr. Fisher
entered written protests, signed by himself, against the decision of the
chairman, which protests he requested might be entered in the Vestry
Clerk’s minutes of the meeting.—Mr. J. H. Harrison moved, “That until
after the committee, which was appointed in April last to confer with the
Churchwardens relative to the property belonging to the Parish Church,
had made its report to a further vestry, it is inexpedient to make a
rate.” Mr. F. Starling seconded the amendment.—The Chairman, in
endeavouring to prevail upon Mr. Harrison to withdraw his amendment,
stated that in March next, property which now let at from £29 to £30 a
year, and that in September, 1859, property which now realised £50 per
annum, would fall in; he agreed with them that the greatest care ought to
be taken in properly administering this property, and said he believed
its value would be increased threefold.—The amendment was carried by an
immense majority, and the meeting, therefore, was adjourned _sine die_.
Oct. 28th.—Many vessels had been lost, and amongst them the “Betsy” (G.
D. Palmer, Esq., owner), on Palling Beach. (N.B.—She was at that time
the oldest vessel afloat hailing from the port, and had belonged to the
Palmer family for more than 100 years.)
Oct. 31st.—The Liberal electors had held a grand soireè at the Town Hall,
Messrs. A. W. Young, M.P., and J. Mellor, Q.C., M.P., being present; 220
persons attended, amongst whom were R. Hammond, Esq., (Chairman), and
Messrs. G. D. Palmer, J. W. Shelley, W. N. Burroughs, P. Pullyn, C. E.
Bartram, D. A. Gourlay, J. Clowes, G. Blake, W. T. Clarke, F. Palmer, H.
D. Palmer, D. B. Palmer, W. T. Fisher, J. Cobb, J. Mainprice, W. Briggs,
J. H. Harrison, J. Owles, J. Neave, &c. Mr. McCullagh was unable to
attend, but the meeting was addressed by Messrs. Young, Mellor, and
Watkin, and the utmost unanimity prevailed.
Nov. 4th.—Some 2,000 persons had attended an open-air Liberal
Demonstration on the Hall-quay, at which G. Danby-Palmer, Esq., presided,
and which was addressed by Mr. Watkin.
At the Municipal Election the Tories had been successful, the Liberals
“not going in to win.” At the close of the poll the Conservative
procession, consisting of a band of music, some flags, bearing such
inscriptions as “Cheap Bread and Economy,” and about four or five cabs
formed and paraded through the principal thoroughfares. The returns
were—
_Regent Ward_.
Sir E. H. K. Lacon, (C) 118
J. Cherry, (C) 114
J. Owles, (L) 82
F. Palmer, (L) 78
_Market Ward_.
J. E. Barnby, (C) 128
J. Fenn, (C) 126
J. Scott, (L) 110
G. W. Clowes, (L) 107
_St. George’s Ward_.
W. J. Foreman, (C) 121
H. Jay, (C) 117
A. D. Stone, (L) 85
J. Fill, (L) 80
_Nelson Ward_.
S. V. Moore, (L) 211
J. Clark, (C) 151
J. Clowes, (L) 127
_North Ward_.
S. Nightingale, (C) 144
W. H. Bessey, (C) 132
J. Mainprice, (L) 126
J. Cobb, (L) 109
_St. Andrew’s Ward_.
J. Hammond, (C) 185
William H. Palmer, (C) 174
Henry Danby-Palmer, (L) 164
J. Barker, (L) 150
Mr. J. Clowes had entered a protest against the return in the Nelson Ward
“on the ground of the presiding alderman having left his post during the
election.”
Nov. 7th.—The first general meeting of the Shareholders of the Britannia
Pier Company had been held, the accounts showing £1,365 received, and
£781 12s. 6d expended.
Nov. 11th.—At the Council Meeting, Mr. E. H. L. Preston proposed, and Mr.
Palmer (Deputy-Mayor) seconded, Mr. Francis Worship for the office of
Mayor. Mr. R. Steward then proposed Mr. W. H. Bessey, who declining the
honour, Mr. Steward suggested the name of Mr. Plummer, who also refusing
to serve, the Mayor declared Mr. Worship unanimously elected to the
office.
The Poor’s rate was 1s. 4d. in the £.
Nov. 14th.—Thirty-six gentlemen had attended the dinner given to the
Ex-Mayor at the Town Hall.
Herring was selling at from £12 to £20 a last.
The adjourned Vestry Meeting for the purpose of considering the propriety
of making a Church rate had been held in the Town Hall. There was a
large attendance of ratepayers, who were, of course, presided over by the
minister of the parish. The Committee appointed to consider the value of
the Church property recommended that that which had fallen in, and which
would fall in on the 25th of March next, should be re-let on repairing
leases of 14 years’ duration, at a rental of £76 16s.—Mr. J. H. Harrison,
one of the committee, gave a detailed account of all the Church property,
both of that which fell in in September last, and that which will fall in
during next year and 1859 and 1860. He had no doubt, whatever, that if
the property was properly managed, there would be no necessity for asking
for a Church rate after 1860.—Mr. C. S. D. Steward and Mr. E. R. Aldred,
the Churchwardens, moved and seconded respectively, “That in consequence
of the increased rental of the estate belonging to St. Nicholas’ Church
not being available for the current year, a rate of 1½d in the pound be
now made and assessed.”—Mr. J. H. Harrison thought that St. Peter’s
Church ought not to be included in the rate, and moved as an amendment,
“That St. Peter’s Church having been erected by voluntary contributions,
with an understanding that it should be maintained and supported by its
pew rents, and should in no way become a charge upon the parish, this
Vestry deems it advisable to refuse making a rate until the Churchwardens
do exclude the said Church of St. Peter wholly from their estimate.”—Mr.
J. Lawn seconded the amendment, but the Chairman refused to put it, on
the ground that he could not consistently with his duty do so.—After
considerable discussion, in the course of which the Clerk stated that St.
Peter’s Church could be legally included in the rate, Mr. W. T. Fisher
moved, and Mr. J. Lawn seconded, on the ground that the Church property,
if re-let at its full value, would realize more than sufficient for the
necessary repairs of the Parish Church, and that money, which could
afterwards be repaid out of the surplus, could be borrowed to defray the
expenses for the next two years,—“That this meeting resolves to adjourn
for four weeks, to obtain the necessary amount and thereby to avoid the
necessity of making a Church rate.”—The Chairman conscientiously refused
to put this amendment on the ground that it was not a _bona fide_ one,
and also the following amendment, which was likewise moved by Mr. W. T.
Fisher, “That in order to give the Churchwardens time to prepare a proper
estimate, the Vestry to adjourn for three weeks.”—Mr. J. H. Harrison then
moved, “That it is inexpedient and inadvisable to make a Church rate at
this meeting.”—The Chairman, however, refused to put this, as also
another amendment by Mr. J. H. Harrison to the effect, “That a Church
rate of a farthing in the pound be levied.”—After a great deal of uproar,
the motion of the Churchwardens was lost by a considerable majority. A
poll was then demanded, when the Chairman appointed Mr. J. L. Cufaude to
be the assessor, and the meeting adjourned. The following numbers were
polled during the afternoon:—For the rate 225, against it 195.