9.--A Special Committee of the House of Commons sat to decide various
questions arising out of the elections at Norwich in 1859. The first
point to be decided was whether Lord Bury's claim, by virtue of the
election in July, was not nullified by the bribery which was proved to
have been made by his agents when he was returned with Mr. Schneider in
April; and secondly, whether, in the event of such disqualification, Sir
Samuel Bignold or Colonel Boldero had a valid claim. There were three
petitions: (1) against the return of Lord Bury and the qualification of
Sir Samuel Bignold, on the ground that both had been guilty of bribery at
the April election, and the seat was, therefore, claimed for Colonel
Boldero (signed by Josiah Fletcher, S. Jarrold, and J. J. Kempster); (2)
alleging the disqualification of Lord Bury, and claiming the seat for Sir
Samuel Bignold (signed by J. G. Johnson and R. Kerrison); and (3)
alleging the disqualification of both Lord Bury and Sir Samuel Bignold,
and claiming the seat for Colonel Boldero (signed by P. Back and G. C.
Stevens). No appearance was put in in support of the first petition.
The Committee declared that Lord Bury was not merely disqualified from
sitting in the House of Commons during the then Parliament, but the last
election was void, in consequence of his lordship having been found,
since that return, guilty of bribery by his agents. A writ was then
issued for another election, and on March 28th the following candidates
were nominated: Mr. W. Forlonge (C), Aynhoe Park, Northamptonshire; Mr.
W. D. Lewis, Q.C. (C); Sir William Russell (L), and Mr. Edward Warner
(L). The polling took place on the 29th, and the result was officially
declared on the 30th, as follows: Warner, 2,083; Russell, 2,045;
Forlonge, 1,636; Lewis, 1,631.
24.--Died at his residence, Hillington Hall, aged 73, Sir William John
Henry Browne ffolkes, Bart. He represented the county, and afterwards
the Western Division, as a supporter of Liberal principles from 1830
through the Reform era, but lost the seat on the redaction of the
Conservative party in 1837, when Mr. Bagge and Mr. Chute were returned.
As a magistrate, country gentleman, and landlord, Sir William was highly
esteemed. He was Chairman of Quarter Sessions at Swaffham, and chairman
of the Norfolk Estuary Company. He was succeeded by his grandson,
William Howell, then in his twelfth year, and eldest son of Martin Brown
ffolkes, who was killed by lightning in July, 1849.
24.--The Rev. J. W. L. Heaviside was installed Canon of Norwich
Cathedral, in succession to Canon Wodehouse, resigned. Mr. Heaviside was
a professor at Haileybury College, an examiner in mathematics for the
University of London and for the Council of Military Education, and a
brother of Mr. Heaviside, formerly master of the Norwich School of Art.
29.--At the Norwich Assizes, before Lord Chief Justice Cockburn and a
special jury, was tried a libel action, in which Mr. Samuel B. Cory,
solicitor, Yarmouth, was the plaintiff, and Mr. T. W. Bond, publisher of
the "Norfolk News," Norwich, the defendant. The libel was contained in a
letter written to the newspaper by a Mr. Fabb, who alleged, among other
things, that Mr. Cory had laid informations in certain game cases, with
the object of putting the fees into his own pocket. Mr. Fabb, it was
understood, had indemnified the "Norfolk News." The jury returned a
verdict for the plaintiff, with one farthing damages, as to that part of
the libel above quoted, and for the defendant as to other portions of the
libel, on the ground that they had been justified as true. The effect of
the verdict was that plaintiff had to pay his own costs and half the
costs of the defendant. In a second action, Mr. Fabb sued Mr. Cory for
malicious prosecution, and obtained a verdict for 30 pounds damages.
30.--Died, in her 63rd year, at Cheltenham, while on a visit to her
son-in-law, the Rev. J. F. Fenn, Lady Bignold, wife of Sir Samuel
Bignold.