1.--The 5.30 p.m. express from London to Norwich had a narrow escape. On
reaching a portion of the line near Harford Bridges, the engine, on
running down the incline, left the metals, and, tearing up the permanent
way for some distance, stopped on the wooden bridge which crosses the
Yare a little below Old Lakenham. "One of the carriages was overturned,
and the occupants, among whom was Lord Stafford, had to make their escape
by climbing through the windows which were then uppermost." None of the
passengers were seriously hurt.
7.--At a Liberal meeting held at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, certain
accusations founded upon letters received from Mr. John Bright, M.P.,
were made against Mr. Robert Edmond Chester Waters, one of the
Conservative candidates for the representation of the city. The
principal charges were that Mr. Waters (previously a Liberal) had been
compelled to resign his membership of the Reform Club for cheating at
cards, and that while he came before the Norwich electors as a Protestant
Churchman, in Rome he professed to be a Roman Catholic. Mr. Waters
declared these statements to be scandalous and false; and on the 8th
announced that he had authorised legal proceedings to be taken against
Sir William Foster and the Rev. George Gould for making imputations on
his personal character. On the 10th a deputation, consisting of Messrs.
H. S. Patteson, Edward Field, D. Dalrymple, and J. H. Tillett, proceeded
to London to investigate at the Reform Club the truth of the allegations,
and in the course of the day the following telegram was received
simultaneously by Sir Samuel Bignold and Sir William Foster: "We have the
minutes. They have been produced before us, and we find that it is true
that Mr. Waters was accused of cheating at cards at the Reform Club, and
unanimously called upon by the committee to resign to prevent expulsion,
and further that he did, on receiving that communication, resign on the
23rd November, 1860." The telegram was dated from the Reform Club, and
signed by the deputation. In consequence of the telegram, Messrs. Fred
Brown, J. B. Morgan, F. E. Watson, and Henry Ling issued a notice stating
that they felt it their duty to withdraw their support from Mr. Waters as
one of the candidates for the city. Mr. Waters thereupon stated that he
would stand independently. The nomination took place at the Guildhall on
the 11th. The other candidates were Sir William Russell and Mr. Edward
Warner, Liberals; and Mr. Augustus Goldsmid, Conservative. The polling
took place on the 12th, and was officially declared on the 13th, as
follows:--Russell, 1,845; Warner, 1,838; Goldsmid, 1,466; Waters, 1,363.
Mr. Waters, who was exceedingly popular with what the NORFOLK CHRONICLE
described as "the lower order of Conservatives," made a return visit to
Norwich on October 10th, and was escorted by a torchlight procession
round the city. Thirty thousand people assembled in the Market Place,
the bells of St. Peter Mancroft were rung, and the late candidate, after
making a complimentary call upon Sir Samuel Bignold, proceeded to the
Norfolk Hotel and addressed from the window a dense crowd assembled in
St. Giles' Street. On the 11th he was entertained at dinner by the Eldon
Club; and at St. Andrew's Hall, on the 12th, was received with the utmost
enthusiasm by a crowded audience. Mr. Waters, who was accompanied by
Lord Henry Thynne and Sir Alfred Slade, was presented with a massive
silver epergne, "by a very large number of the Conservatives of Norwich,
as an expression of their cordial sympathy and regard, and in
appreciation of the gallant and chivalrous spirit in which, under
difficulties unprecedented, he fought the battle of the Conservative
cause loyally, courteously, and fearlessly at the Parliamentary election
for Norwich, 1865." A "testimonial dinner" was given to Mr. Waters at
the Norfolk Hotel on the evening of the 13th, when the Norwich
Conservative Association was inaugurated. Upwards of 100 members were at
once enrolled, and on the 14th Sir Samuel Bignold, in response to the
request of a deputation, accepted the presidency.
8.--A meeting of the independent electors of East Norfolk was held at the
Swan Hotel, Norwich, for the purpose of selecting a candidate to contest
the constituency in the interests of the supporters of the movement for
the repeal of the Malt Tax. Mr. Clare Sewell Read, who had been for some
time prominently identified with the party in favour of the repeal, was
unanimously chosen. Mr. Jacob Henry Tillett attended the meeting and
made a remarkable speech. If Mr. Read were nominated, he said, he would
help him to the utmost of his power; and he added, "If you want money, if
you want help, if you want what enthusiasm I can put into the cause, let
your chairman write to me and I will respond with all my heart." The
nomination took place at the Shirehall on the 15th. Several times the
proceedings were stayed and consultations held by the leaders of the
respective parties, with the view of effecting a compromise. The
candidates nominated were Mr. Edward Howes, Sir Thomas Beauchamp, and
Col. Coke. Mr. Robert Leamon offered not to proceed with the nomination
of Mr. Read if the Liberal party would pledge themselves to return to
Parliament a Malt Tax repealer; in the absence of that assurance he
nominated Mr. Read, whose candidature was seconded by Mr. H. S. Grimmer.
It was subsequently agreed by the friends of Mr. Howes to permit the name
of Mr. Read to appear upon the election cards and posters issued by the
former. The poll was opened on the 18th, and was officially declared on
the 20th, as follows:--Howes, 3,100; Read, 2,985; Beauchamp, 2,150; Coke,
1,994
11.--The nomination of candidates for the representation of Yarmouth was
held at the Town Hall. Sir E. H. K. Lacon, Bart., and Mr. J. Goodson,
Conservatives, and Mr. Philip Vanderbyl and Mr. Brogden, liberals, were
nominated. The polling took place on the 12th, and resulted as
follows:--Lacon 828; Goodson, 784; Brogden, 634; Vanderbyl, 589. (_See_
March 20th, 1866.)
11.--At Thetford, the Hon. Alexander Hugh Baring and Mr. Robert John
Harvey Harvey, Conservatives, and Mr. Thomas Dakin (Alderman of London
and Sheriff of Middlesex), Liberal, were nominated to represent the
borough. The poll, on the 12th, resulted as follows:--Harvey, 193;
Baring, 137; Dakin, 69.
12.--Lord Stanley and the Hon. Frederick Walpole, Conservatives, and Sir
T. Fowell Buxton, Liberal, were nominated for the representation of
King's Lynn. The polling, on the 13th, resulted in the return of Lord
Stanley, 445 votes, and Sir T. Fowell Buxton, 401 votes. Mr. Walpole
polled 339 votes.
--Died at Herne Bay, aged 43 years, Mr. Samuel Peckworth Woodward, Ph.D.,
F.G.S., assistant in the Geological Department of the British Museum, and
second son of Mr. Samuel Woodward, of Norwich. He was a member of
several learned societies, and in 1845 was appointed professor of botany
and geology at the Royal Agricultural College.
19.--The nomination of candidates for West Norfolk took place at
Swaffham. The Conservatives were Mr. William Bagge and the Hon. T. de
Grey (the latter strongly opposed as "an excessive game preserver"); and
the Liberals, Sir Willoughby Jones, Bart. (Conservative member for
Cheltenham in 1847), and Mr. Brampton Gurdon. The poll was opened on the
22nd, and the following was the result: Bagge, 2,710; de Grey, 2,611;
Jones, 2,133; Gurdon, 2,088. A petition against the return of the
successful candidates was dismissed, owing to informality in the
recognisances. Great disturbances took place at Swaffham, for which
several persons were punished at the ensuing Quarter Sessions. Mr. de
Grey, on his return to Merton, on the 24th, was most enthusiastically
received at Watton and other places on the route.
26.--The comic singer Vance--"the Great Vance"--made his first appearance
in Norwich at St. Andrew's Hall. "He is the original singer of the
absurd 'Slap Bang,' and has better recommendations, but the judicious
portion of the audience could not see enough in him to explain the great
success he has achieved in the Metropolis."