4.--Lord George Bentinck was elected without opposition a member for
King's Lynn. "No colours were worn, agreeable to the regulations of Lord
John Russell's most sapient Act, and for which the ribbon-makers must
feel highly indebted to him in depriving them of a source of consumption
for an important branch of British manufacture of no inconsiderable
extent."
5.--At a meeting of the Norwich Court of Guardians, a report was adopted
in favour of altering the mulcts of the assessable property in each of
the parishes and hamlets of the city. In the parishes the old valuation
was 61,302 pounds; the new, 89,080 pounds; increase, 27,778 pounds--45
per cent. In the hamlets the old valuation was 19,722 pounds; the new,
21,487 pounds; increase, 1,765 pounds--about 9 per cent. At the vestry
meetings in several parishes the new assessment was rejected--(1) on the
ground of increased local and public burdens to which the citizens would
be exposed by increased rent on such valuation; and (2) because of the
disproportion of the assessment of the hamlets as compared with the
assessment of the city at large. At a meeting of the Guardians on April
1st, a resolution was adopted declaring the mulct to be unequal, and
advising that steps be taken to place it upon a fair and equitable basis.
8.--A "trial of speed" took place between the Westacre and Melton
Constable hounds. "A noble stag stood before the hounds an hour and ten
minutes, but from the numerous field, amounting at least to 400, the
greater part of whom were shamefully riding the roads and heading the
stag at every point, the sport was not brilliant. Through the greater
part of the day the Westacre hounds took the lead, carried the best head,
and did all the work; but from the jockeyship of Sir Jacob Astley's
huntsman in continually lifting his hounds, and numerous horsemen
pressing on them in the lanes and woods, so completely frightened the
Westacre hounds, which are more timid and less accustomed to such crowds
than the Melton, that most of them were thrown out and could not again
recover their ground." The match took place in the neighbourhood of East
Dereham.
12.--In the Court of King's Bench, Sir James Scarlett moved for a rule to
show cause why a _quo warranto_ information should not be filed against
Mr. Angell, of Norwich, for exercising the office of alderman without
being properly elected thereto. "A very ancient custom," he said,
"prevailed at Norwich on the election of aldermen, which he was sure
would not, from its antiquity, receive their lordships' sanction. It was
called the cooping of voters, and consisted of taking the voters by force
in a body, bribing them, giving them drink, and keeping them locked up
until they consented to vote for the party on whose side they had been
taken." It was alleged that several of the supporters of Mr. Angell's
opponent (Mr. Marshall) were waylaid, carried away by force in a coach,
put on board a boat on the broads, and had persons placed over them as
guards. If these persons had had their liberty, Mr. Marshall, it was
contended, would have been elected. Lord Tenterden granted a rule to
show cause. It was abandoned, however, on April 28th, and "the bells of
St. Peter rang a triumphant peal on the result being known."
13.--A squadron of the 6th Dragoons arrived at Norwich Barracks, to
replace the depot of the 12th Lancers.
23.--A man named Bailey did penance in the chancel of Yarmouth parish
church for applying an opprobrious epithet to a Mrs. Jenner. "It being a
very great novelty, there was a large assemblage of persons to witness
the performance of the ceremony and to hear Bailey repeat his
recantations, which continued for some time, but he did _not_, as
generally supposed, stand in a white sheet."