| Edward Warner (L.) | 2083 |
| Col. Sir Wm. Russell (L.) | 2045 |
| Wm. David Lewis (C.) | 1631 |
| Wm. Forlonge (C.) | 1636 |
The eighth Reformed Parliament, during the existence of which Lord Palmerston continued premier, was dissolved on Thursday, July 6th, 1865. The nomination for this city was appointed to take place on Tuesday, July 11th.
The Election of July, 1865.
Mr. Warner and Sir William Russell offered themselves for re-election. The Conservatives, however, undismayed by past defeats, determined again to contest the representation. At a large meeting of the party, held at the Norfolk Hotel on Saturday evening, July 1st, Sir S. Bignold, who presided, after opening the proceedings, introduced Robert Edmond Chester Waters, Esq., of Upton Park, Dorsetshire, to the electors present, who resolved unanimously to support him as one of the Conservative candidates. At a meeting subsequently held in the third ward, Augustus Goldsmid, Esq., was introduced and accepted as the second candidate. The electors knew very little about the antecedents of either gentlemen, and never supposed that Mr. Waters had been a candidate in the Liberal interest, and a member of the Reform Club. He was a young man and a good speaker, and by his eloquence and address greatly pleased his numerous supporters. On the Friday following, however, in the two local Liberal newspapers, the Norfolk News and the Norwich Mercury, and at a large meeting of Liberal electors in St. Andrew’s Hall, certain serious charges were made affecting the character of Mr. Waters, which charges, it was alleged, had led to his “retirement” from the Reform Club, of which he had once been a member; and the Conservatives were challenged to investigate the truth of the charges. Mr. Waters himself indignantly denied them, and issued a circular stating that he had ordered legal proceedings to be instituted against the authors of the slanders. He also addressed a great meeting in St. Andrew’s Hall in his own defence, and vehemently denounced his calumniators. The challenge of the Liberals was accordingly accepted, and Mr. H. S. Patteson and Mr. E. Field were appointed on behalf of the Conservative committee to accompany Dr. Dalrymple and Mr. J. H. Tillett to London, to examine the books of the Reform Club, and make other investigations. In the meantime the Conservative committee issued an appeal to the electors, expressing themselves satisfied with the proofs Mr. Waters had submitted to them of his position in society, and asking them to suspend their judgment until the return of the deputation from London. On the Monday, the gentlemen forming the deputation proceeded to London, and in the course of the day, a telegram, unfavourable to Mr. Waters, was received by the committee in the city, which resulted in the following notice being issued:—
“Fellow Citizens; in consequence of a telegram just received, we feel it our duty to withdraw our support from Mr. Waters, as one of the candidates for the city. The other gentlemen who signed the previous paper are absent from Norwich. Signed, Fred. Brown, J. B. Morgan, F. E. Watson, Henry Ling. Norwich, 10th July, 1865.”
As may be supposed, this telegram caused great consternation among the Conservatives, many of whom resolved to support Mr. Waters notwithstanding. Indignation meetings of a large section of the party were held at various taverns in the city, and Mr. Waters was received with greater enthusiasm than ever. At a meeting held in the evening, Mr. Waters addressed his friends, and the Hon. Major Augustus Jocelyn also spoke, bearing testimony to the high personal character of Mr. Waters. This only confirmed the gentlemen of his committee in their previous decision, whereupon Mr. Waters declared his determination to stand independently, and he continued his candidature.
The nomination took place on Tuesday, July 11th, in the Guildhall, which was crowded by partisans. The sheriff (C. Jecks, Esq.) presided as returning officer. Sir William Foster, Bart., nominated Edward Warner, Esq., of Higham Hall, Woodford, Essex, as a fit and proper person to represent the city of Norwich in parliament. Mr. E. Willett seconded and Mr. J. J. Colman supported the nomination, amid much applause. Dr. Dalrymple nominated Sir William Russell, Bart., C.B., of Charlton Park, Gloucestershire; Mr. J. H. Tillett seconded and Mr. Donald Steward supported the nomination. Mr. J. G. Johnson nominated Augustus Goldsmid, Esq., Barrister-at-law; Mr. Patteson seconded and Mr. J. B. Morgan supported the nomination. Mr. R. P. Wiseman nominated Robert Edmond Chester Waters, Esq., of Upton Park, Dorsetshire; Mr. J. Allen (surgeon) seconded and Mr. John Hardy supported the nomination. The sheriff then called for a show of hands, and declared it to be in favour of Mr. Warner and Sir William Russell. Mr. J. G. Johnson demanded a poll on behalf of Mr. Goldsmid, and Mr. Wiseman for Mr. Waters. The polling took place on Wednesday and was kept up with great spirit; at the close the numbers were:—
| Sir William Russell (L.) | 1845 |
| Edward Warner (L.) | 1838 |
| Augustus Goldsmid (C.) | 1466 |
| R. E. Chester Waters (C.) | 1363 |
The House of Commons, as organised in 1832, performed, during the thirty-five years of its existence, a work of the first magnitude, the repealing of the old and bad corn laws. It also swept away the navigation laws, the paper and newspaper taxes, the window duties, and every restriction which impeded the progress of industry. But a new House of Commons was needed, a House that should represent not only the middle but also the working classes, not only capital but labour. For this purpose, a new Reform Bill became necessary, to lower and extend the franchise to all householders, to give at least every rate-payer a vote, to enable working-men to help in returning members to Parliament. After Lord Palmerston’s death a new government was formed; and in 1866, Mr. Gladstone brought in another Reform Bill, which was not accepted, and on an adverse division, respecting a rating clause, the ministry resigned. Lord Derby came into office, and Mr. Disraeli introduced a Bill for Household Suffrage, on terms based on rate-paying by the occupiers. This Bill, which swept away all “compounding” for rates, was passed in 1867, and under it the number of voters in Norwich was increased from five to twelve thousand. In 1868, ministers were defeated by a majority of more than sixty, on a motion by Mr. Gladstone for the dis-establishment and dis-endowment of the Irish church, and the government determined to appeal to the new constituency.