—*“The governors of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital have presented a silver waiter, of the value of 50 guineas, to Mr. Edward Taylor for his eminent services in promoting, arranging, and assisting at the grand Musical Festival.”
10.—An exceptionally high tide occurred at Yarmouth. The river overflowed and flooded cellars, stables, granaries, and other buildings on the Quay; and the Southtown Road from the Bear Inn, near the bridge, to Gorleston was completely under water, in places to the depth of three feet. At Cromer great damage was done to the cliffs.
11.—A petition for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Norwich Paving Act was presented in the House of Commons by Mr. William Smith.—At a meeting held at the Duke’s Palace Inn, Norwich, on March 1st, it was decided to oppose the Bill because the Paving Commissioners by clause 8 sought to obtain authority to levy an additional due of 8d. per ton on all goods brought by vessels up the river higher than Thorpe Old Hall.—The Bill was read a first time on March 4th, but in consequence of the opposition to clause 8 Mr. Smith withdrew the measure and suffered the second reading to pass as a dropped order.—On March 28th Mr. Smith moved the
second reading on the understanding that the objectionable clause would be withdrawn in Committee. The Bill was then read a second time.—It passed its third reading on May 3rd; received the Royal Assent in the House of Lords on May 20th; and the first meeting of the Commissioners under the new Act was held at Norwich on June 14th.
15.—The prospectus of the Norwich and Lowestoft Navigation Company was adopted at a meeting held at Gray’s Inn Coffee House, London, presided over by Col. Harvey, High Sheriff of Norfolk. The principal object for which the company was formed was that of making Norwich a port for seaborne vessels not exceeding ten feet draught, by opening the best and most direct line of communication between that city and the sea. In addition to the old list of shares, amounting to £27,000, it was decided to raise £120,000 in shares of £50 each, and to apply to Parliament in the ensuing Session for leave to bring in a Bill.—The first general meeting of the shareholders was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, on June 1st, and on July 2nd a meeting of proprietors of land adjoining the proposed canal between the Yare and the Waveney resolved to oppose the Bill on account of threatened danger to their property.—The proprietors of the North Walsham and Dilham Canal, and of the Coltishall and Aylsham Canal also decided to oppose the measure because it would divert the traffic from Yarmouth to Lowestoft, would lead to the neglect of Breydon, and consequently to the injury of the navigation of the Bure and Ant.
19.*—“Died last week in Bishopgate Hospital, Norwich, Mr. John Green, aged 101.”
24.—In the House of Commons Col. Wodehouse moved that petitions from the magistrates of Norfolk and from the Mayor and Corporation of Thetford in reference to the removal of the Lent Assizes from Thetford to Norwich be referred to a Select Committee. The motion was defeated by 72 votes against 21.
—The Corporation of Norwich rescinded the resolution by which they had offered the corn merchants a site for a Corn Exchange, and appointed a committee to report on the propriety of the Corporation erecting a building of their own for the sale of corn and other agricultural produce. The committee, on March 15th, reported in favour of the proposal, the Under-Chamberlain was directed to mark out a site 150 feet by 70 feet on the Castle Meadow, and on May 3rd it was resolved to advertise for plans and estimates.—The corn merchants held a meeting at the Norfolk Hotel on July 25th, and finally agreed to erect an exchange “on part of the present site of Sir Benjamin Wrenche’s Court.” It was announced “a new street is to be made to communicate with the Market Place from St. Andrew’s Street, to enter it at the upper end of Cockey Lane.” A proposal was made to erect in the Exchange galleries for the accommodation of the Norwich Society of Artists, who would be deprived of their rooms in the Court.—At a special meeting of the Corporation on August 10th “the further consideration of the erection of a Corn Exchange” was indefinitely deferred.
28.—A peal of six bells, cast by William Dobson, of Downham Market, was opened at Marham by the Aylsham company of ringers.
28.—Mr. David Fisher, “a flower of our own garden, a native of our own county,” made his first appearance at Lynn Theatre in the character of Richard III. He afterwards appeared as Macbeth.