5.--At a meeting of the Norwich Town Council, a report was received from
the Sewerage and Irrigation Committee, stating that an intimation had
been made by the contractor for the construction of the intercepting
sewers that he would be unable to proceed with his contract unless the
Committee advanced him a sum of money. As neither the Committee nor the
Board of Health had power to do so under the contract, proposals were
made to the contractor (Mr. Wainwright), which resulted in the Committee
taking possession of the works, materials, &c. The opinion was expressed
that the Committee had acted with due consideration of the interests and
safety of the public, and at the same time with consideration for the
contractor, who appeared to have met with unforeseen difficulties in the
prosecution of that part of the works in course of construction at
Trowse, the soil there consisting of sand instead, as was supposed, of
chalk. The Town Council, on March 16th, agreed that the contract with
Mr. Wainwright be cancelled, upon payment to the parties entitled thereto
of 2,800, in full satisfaction of all claims and for the purchase of
plant and materials. On July 20th the Sewerage and Irrigation Committee
reported that, in consequence of the nature of the soil through which so
large a portion of the tunnelling had to be carried, and other unforeseen
circumstances, the original estimate would be exceeded, but the ultimate
cost of the works would not be more than 81,500, to be reduced to 78,500
by the sale of plant, &c. A description of the sewerage works was
published on December 24th, from which it appeared that all the money
authorised to be raised by Act of Parliament, 75,000, had been borrowed,
and the greater part of it already expended. The whole of the high level
sewer was completed on this date. It extended from the Ipswich Road,
along Town Close Road, through Mount Pleasant Lane, across the fields and
under Mill Hill Lane to West Pottergate street, Bedford Street, Opie
Street, the Cattle Market, and King Street, to a point near Messrs.
Morgan's Brewery, where it joined the low level sewer, a distance of more
than two and a half miles. Branch sewers had been laid in various
directions. The low level sewer, from the New Mills, along Westwick
Street, Charing Cross, St. Andrew's, Prince's Street, Tombland, Upper
King Street, and along King Street to the gates had also been completed,
a few short distances excepted. The work was carried out under the
direction of the engineer, Mr. Morant, and of the Sewerage and Irrigation
Committee, of which Mr. J. G. Johnson was chairman. (_See_ October 1st,
1872.)
9.--Died at Torquay, Sir John P. Boileau, Bart., of Ketteringham Park.
The eldest son of Mr. John Peter Boileau, he was born in 1794, educated
at Eton and Merton College, Oxford, and in 1813 entered the Rifle
Brigade, from which he retired in 1818. He married, in 1824, Lady
Catherine Sarah Elliot, daughter of the first Earl of Minto, by whom he
had two sons, Francis George Manningham, born in 1830, who succeeded to
the baronetcy, and Edward William Pollin, born in 1831, and five
daughters. Sir John was a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant for the
county of Norfolk, and served the office of High Sheriff in 1844. As a
memorial to his wife, who died in 1862, he founded the Catherine ward in
the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. He was devoted to the pursuit of
science and the arts, was a vice-president of the Society of Antiquaries,
a Fellow of the Royal Society and of the Society of Artists, president of
the Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society, vice-president of the
Norfolk and Norwich Museum, and a member of the committee of the Norfolk
and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival.
11.--Prince's Street chapel, Norwich, was re-opened, after having been
re-arranged and improved, under the direction of Mr. Edward Boardman,
architect, at the cost of 2,600. As originally planned, in 1819, it was
a building of heavy and uninteresting appearance; the new designs by Mr.
Boardman gave to it an imposing facade. The Rev. Newman Hall preached at
the opening services.
12.--A race took place between Joseph Tuck, a pedestrian, of Little
Snoring, and a trotting pony belonging to Mr. Gutteridge. The match was
for 40, the distance 500 yards, and the start was from scratch. Tuck had
the race in hand the whole way, and passed the winning-post thirty yards
ahead of the pony.
13.*--"Mr. Bunnett, of Norwich, has successfully undergone the necessary
preliminary of the searching examination in music by Professor Sterndale
Bennett. As a corollary of the examination, the exercise of Mr. Bunnett
for the degree of Doctor in Music was performed in the chapel of Trinity
College, Cambridge, on the 8th instant, in the presence of Professor
Bennett, and produced a very good impression."
16.--The trial of the election petition against the return of the Hon. R.
Bourke, one of the Conservative members for the borough, commenced at
King's Lynn, before Mr. Baron Martin. The petitioners alleged corrupt
practices, treating, and intimidation. The hearing concluded on the
17th, when the Judge stated that he was clearly of opinion that the
object of the petition had failed, and it would be his duty to report to
the Speaker of the House of Commons that Mr. Bourke had been duly
elected.
27.--At the Norwich Assizes, before Mr. Baron Pigott, Francis Howard
Clare (42), shoemaker, was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife,
Ann Frances Clare, on October 16th, 1868. The woman was found with her
throat cut, and it was alleged that the prisoner had inflicted the wound.
Mr. Metcalfe, for the defence, set up the theory of suicide, and the
jury, adopting that view, returned a verdict of not guilty.