3.--Mr. Beacham, a favourite actor at Norwich Theatre, took his final
leave of the stage after a service of more than half a century.
6.--The erection of gas works at East Dereham commenced.
10.--A new drama, entitled, "The Puritan's Sister," written by Mr. George
Smith, was produced for the first time at Norwich Theatre.
14.--Died at Brighton, aged 72, Sir John Harrison Yallop, an alderman of
Norwich. He served the office of Sheriff in 1805, and of Mayor in 1815
and 1831.
15.--Sir Edward Parry, R.N., attended a meeting of the Norwich Court of
Guardians, and laid before them the views and intentions of the Poor-law
Commissioners. Sir Edward also visited other unions in the district.
16.--Guild Day was celebrated in Norwich for the last time. The civic
procession to the Cathedral was headed by the regalia borne by the
respective officers on horseback. "Snap," too, made his final
appearance. Chambers, the senior boy at the Free Grammar School, under
the Rev. Henry Banfather, delivered the Latin oration, and was presented
with five guineas' worth of books by the Mayor-elect (Mr. Moore), who
made a similar present to Norgate, the orator on the preceding Guild Day.
In the course of the proceedings at the Guildhall, it was decided to
petition the House of Lords against the Bill to provide for the
regulation of Municipal Corporations in England and Wales. Eight hundred
guests attended the Guild feast at St. Andrew's Hall, and a ball was
given at the Assembly Rooms in the evening.
19.--Mr. Richard Shaw was elected an alderman of the Northern Ward,
Norwich, in succession to Sir J. H. Yallop, deceased. He polled 345
votes, as against 109 recorded for his opponent, Mr. J. Winter.
26.--Petitions were presented from Yarmouth, complaining that bribery had
been practised at the election of members for that borough. They were
not election petitions; they did not complain of the return; and did not
impute bribery to the members or their agents. But it was alleged that
two guineas had been paid to many of the voters at the house of a person
who had been an active partisan of the sitting members. The petitions
were referred to a Committee of the House. On July 30th the Chairman of
the Committee reported that Mr. Prentice, one of the witnesses, refused
to answer certain questions, on the ground that the answers would
incriminate himself. He was sent to Newgate on August 6th. On the same
day the Chairman reported that three other witnesses, Messrs. Preston,
Lacon, and Green, had refused to answer any questions at all. Mr.
Preston was brought to the bar and informed by the Speaker that the House
had decided he was bound to submit to be examined by the Committee
without prejudice to his right to object to any questions, the answers to
which might tend to criminate himself. Mr. Preston and Messrs. Lacon and
Green attended the Committee. They objected to the very first question
which at all tended to bear on the matter, because, they said, the
answers might criminate them. The Committee agreed that the answers
would have that tendency, and discharged the witnesses from further
attendance. On August 11th Mr. Prentice was likewise discharged from
Newgate, and on his arrival at Yarmouth, on August 14th, was welcomed by
a large crowd, who escorted his carriage through the town, with a band
playing. At the Norfolk Assizes, on March 31st, 1836, before Mr. Justice
Parke, Messrs. Preston, Green, and Lacon were charged with the alleged
acts of bribery, but each case was disposed of without one of the persons
against whom the charges were preferred being required to enter upon any
defence whatever.
29.--In consequence of the general recommendation of the Poor-law
Commissioners that the allowances to the "surplus poor" be made in kind,
instead of in money, the labourers at Great Bircham and Bircham Tofts
struck work, and caused a riot, upon the ground that labourers had been
imported from neighbouring villages. The houses of Mr. Ketton and Mr.
Hebgin were attacked, and the Melton and Rainham troops of Yeomanry
Cavalry were called out to quell the disturbance. The preventive men
from the coast and the 6th Inniskillings from Norwich were also summoned.
At Walsingham Quarter Sessions, on July 10th, several persons were
sentenced to terms of imprisonment for participating in the riot.