7.—Wombwell’s Menagerie was exhibited on the Castle Meadow, Norwich. The proprietor presented to the Museum fine specimens of a lioness, boa constrictor, racoon, and kangaroo.

13.—In the Rolls Court, Lord Langdale gave judgment in the action the Attorney-General v. the Corporation of Norwich. He said that, as far as regarded the quo warrantos, if a Corporation was not allowed to defend an election duly made, the interests of corporations would be hazarded in every case where a Mayor or other officer did not chose to be at the expense of defending his own election against a rule nisi. It was not a reasonable construction of the new statute that corporations had no interests whatever in the charitable trusts of boroughs. It was true that the administration of charitable estates was distinct from the administration of borough funds, and that neither a corporation as a body nor any member thereof in his corporate capacity ought to be trustees of such estates; still, a corporation, in attending to the public benefits of the inhabitants of a borough, had a due interest in the appointment of those trustees. Under all the circumstances of the case, therefore, he was of opinion that the demurrers must be allowed. At Norwich Assizes on April 6th, before Mr. Justice Parke, the case Rex v. Brightwell was tried by a special jury. This was an information in the nature of a quo warranto, calling upon the defendant to show by what authority he exercised the office of Alderman. Mr. Andrews, for the defendant, contended that if he was not a good Alderman he was not a good Mayor; and if he had not been legally elected Alderman, then all the other Aldermen who had been elected in the same way were elected equally contrary to the law, and all the proceedings which had taken place respecting the police and borough rates would be bad, and the Corporation of the city entirely dissolved, and nothing could cure the defect but a fresh Act of Parliament. Mr. Kelly, for the Crown, urged that the law of England had fixed from time immemorial that corporate officers should not be elected in one batch, but that they must be proposed and voted for separately, and that all elections conducted in any other way were null and void. The jury returned a verdict for the Crown. In the Court of King’s Bench, on April 19th, application was made to move a rule to show cause why the verdict for the Crown could not be set aside, on the ground that the election was perfectly fair, and there was no pretence for saying that the wishes and intentions of the electors had not been carried into effect. A rule was granted. In the Court of Chancery, on May 6th, the case assumed another phase. An information was filed against the Corporation by Mr. Samuel Bignold, alleging that they intended to divert their funds from corporate purposes by paying the expenses incurred by the Town Clerk and other persons who had proceeded to London to support a petition presented to the Lord Chancellor, in order to secure the return of certain persons as trustees of the charities hitherto vested in the old Corporation; and by paying the expenses arising out of the proceedings by quo warranto in the cases of Mr. Springfield and Mr. Brightwell. The further hearing was adjourned till next term. On May 22nd it was reported to the Court of King’s Bench that at a meeting of the Town Council on the 19th, an order was passed “that £1,000 be paid to the Town Clerk on account of disbursements by him relative to law proceedings,” such law proceedings being the matter in which the injunction had been applied for. The Lord Chancellor, on the 24th, granted an order to restrain the payment of the amount. The appeal from the decision of the Master of the Rolls, allowing a demurrer on the information filed by Mr. Bignold, came before the Court of Chancery on May 27th. The Lord Chancellor, after adjournment, gave judgment on the demurrer against the injunction, and confirmed the decision of the

Master of the Rolls, with costs. At a meeting of the Town Council on June 2nd, Mr. Bignold expressed his intention to carry the case to the House of Lords.

13.—Died at St. Gregory’s, Norwich, aged 81, Mr. William Lorkin. “He was for 65 years a member of the Wesleyan Methodist body, having joined them soon after Mr. Wesley first visited Norwich.” In 1825 he published a work entitled “A concise history of the establishment of Wesleyan Methodism in Norwich.”

28.—The influenza epidemic at this date prevailed in city and county, and cases occurred in almost every family.

—An omnibus “upon the London plan” commenced running between Norwich and North Walsham.

—The Magnet coach, from the Swan and Rampant Horse Inns, was advertised to do the journey from Norwich to London, through Thetford and Newmarket, every night, in twelve hours. “The proprietors, in returning thanks for the very liberal patronage bestowed on them, beg most respectfully to inform their friends and the public that they have, at an additional expense, fixed a light inside this coach, which, having given such universal satisfaction, will be continued.”

31.—At a meeting of the Conservative party at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, held under the presidency of Col. Harvey, the Marquis of Douro was asked to become a candidate for the representation of the city, in place of Lord Viscount Stormont, M.P., who had acceded to the request of the electors of his own county, Perthshire, to offer himself as their candidate on the dissolution of Parliament. The requisition to the Marquis was signed by 1,600 of the electors of Norwich; his lordship complied with the request and issued his address on February 13th. Lord Douro and the sitting member, the Hon. Robert Campbell Scarlett, commenced a personal canvass of the city on June 16th, and in the evening attended a meeting of the Orange and Purple Club, at the Maid’s Head Hotel, at which they were unanimously adopted Conservative candidates.

FEBRUARY.

24.—During a severe gale from the N.N.W., accompanied by heavy snow squalls, the Raby Castle, of 60 tons burden (Greensides, master), went ashore at Salthouse, and became a total wreck. She was bound from London to Stockton, with a valuable cargo. The crew and passengers were saved. “When she broke up the beach was strewed with spirits, wine, oranges, nuts, teas, toys, hampers, boxes, &c. The scene beggared description. The most outrageous and beastly conduct was exhibited. Here might be observed a group broaching a spirit cask, and letting it run into their oil-skin hats, shoes, &c. There another stood filling their pockets and handkerchiefs. Plunder, wholesale plunder, appeared to be the order of the day, in spite of contingents of coastguard men. Many who were charged to watch the property became themselves intoxicated. Many were conveyed from the beach literally dead drunk, and it is with disgust we add that many women were in the same state.” The cargo of the Raby Castle was worth £5,000; about £800 worth was recovered. The vessel was sold by auction for £41.