6.--The West Norfolk Agricultural Protective Association held a meeting
at the Town Hall, King's Lynn, under the presidency of Lord Hastings, "to
preserve the Corn Laws from further violation." A similar meeting was
held at North Walsham on the 8th. On January 20th a great meeting took
place at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, at which addresses were delivered by
Mr. Cobden and Col. Thompson in favour of the repeal of the Corn Laws,
and a resolution, moved by Mr. Geary, and seconded by Col. Angerstein,
"that the Corn Laws and all other laws designed to restrict trade under
pretence of protecting particular classes are unjust in principle and
injurious in operation, and ought to be forthwith abolished," was carried
by a large majority, in face of an amendment proposed by Mr. Wodehouse,
M.P., and supported by Lord Hastings, Mr. Hamond of Westacre, and other
prominent Protectionists. "Reporters from all the London daily papers
attended the meeting, and the proprietors engaged special trains to carry
back the report of the proceedings. The first special left Norwich
Station at 8.45 p.m., and reached Shoreditch at 12.40 a.m.; the second
left at 10.29 p.m. and reached London at 2.38 a.m. At half-past two p.m.
on Wednesday (the 21st) we received the 'Times' containing the speeches
to the extent of rather more than four columns."
7.--Died at Malta, aged 77, the Right Hon. John Hookham Frere, of Roydon
Hall, eldest son of Mr. John Frere, formerly member for Norwich. Mr.
Hookham Frere was educated at Eton, where he had Canning as a school
companion. When very young he evinced a love for verse, and made, when
only an Eton school boy, his clever translation of the Anglo-Saxon War
Song on the victory of Athelstan, written when the Rowley controversy was
at its height. George Ellis gave it a place in his historical essay
before his "Specimens of the Poets," and Scott invariably spoke of it as
something more than a mere curiosity. Another of Mr. Frere's works was a
"prospectus and specimen" of his "Intended National Work by William and
Robert Whistlecraft of Stowmarket in Suffolk, Hemp and Collar Makers,
intended to comprise the most interesting particulars relating to King
Arthur and his Round Table"--the precursor and original of Byron's
"Beppo" and "Don Juan." "I have written," says Byron, "a poem of 84
octave stanzas, in or after the excellent manner of Mr. Whistlecraft,
whom I take to be Mr. Frere."
17.*--"All the coaches between Norwich and London have ceased to run, the
last being the mail through Bury St. Edmund's, which was discontinued on
the 6th inst. Six or seven coaches direct to London from Norfolk have
been discontinued, and about 700 horses thrown off the road. There are,
however, about 30 coaches constantly running from various towns to the
principal stations between Yarmouth and London. There are many
omnibuses, cabs, and flys. The railway has very much increased the
number of horse conveyances to and from all the towns along the line. In
fact, horses are dearer than ever they were and more in demand, and the
consumption of oats is not likely to be diminished, but rather
increased." The adverse effects of the railway were shown in the
following paragraph, published on April 25th: "During the droving season
last year 9,300 beasts were housed at the Bird-in-Hand public-house,
Tasburgh, and the landlord purchased for their consumption, and for
horses, &c., 50 tons of hay; but so great is the diminution of the
traffic occasioned by the Norfolk Railway, that during the present season
only twelve beasts have been taken in, and the landlord has had occasion
for only eight and a half hundredweight of hay."
21.--The Norwich School of Design was opened by Sir J. P. Boileau, Bart.
31.*--"By order of the Mayor and magistrates of Norwich, the shop-keepers
have had notice that no goods are to be exposed or sold after ten o'clock
on Sunday morning, and bakers are not to sell or bake goods after
half-past one o'clock in the afternoon." Several tradesmen were
afterwards charged before the magistrates for contravention of the order.