Amongst the Ladies were Mrs. Larkins, Mrs. Clubbe, Mrs. F. Worthington, Mrs. J. Worthington, Mrs. F. Seago, Mrs. Warman, etc. Amongst the gentlemen were Rev. Dr. English, Rev. J. Wright, Rev. H. I. Wonfer, Col. H. Leathes, Messrs. T. R. Woods, W. R. Seago, W. Youngman, B. M. Bradbeer, R. B. Nicholson, A. Lawrence, W. T. Balls, B. Preston, F. Seago, F. Peskett, J. Hobson, W. Warman, J. L. Clemence, A. Adams, H. Jefferies, R. B. Capps, S. Howett, R. W. Saul, T. Hobson, T. W. Etheridge, T. H. Leggett, A. Stebbings, W. W. Garnham, J. Swatman, W. Farrett.
The Mayor said: Ladies and Gentlemen, I regret that the capacity of our Town Hall, is not sufficient for the number of townsmen who seek admission. If we were to adjourn to the Market Place that would be only sufficiently large. However, our proceedings will not be very long. I will at once enter on the business before us. My duty to-day is to receive the Charter of Incorporation, which our Most Gracious Queen in Council Assembled has been pleased to grant us. (Applause.)
Mr. Keen, (of the firm of Messrs. Keen, Rogers, & Co.,) then rose, and was received with applause. He said: I have been honoured by Her Majesty’s Privy Council, who have entrusted me with the duty of conveying to its destination the Charter of Incorporation of the Borough of Lowestoft. In parting with it I may be allowed to hope as our native country has prospered and thriven under our Great Charter, and as the various towns and boroughs have prospered under their respective charters, so may the good town of Lowestoft go on to more and more prosperity under this its own charter. (Applause.) Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sure I am speaking the sentiments of the whole Borough when I say I could not place the charter in more worthy hands. (Renewed applause.)
The Mayor then received the black tin box containing the important document. Having taken the Charter out of the box he handed it, amid applause, to
The Town Clerk (Mr. J. E. Cook), who read the lengthy document.
CHARTER OF INCORPORATION.
VICTORIA, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, greeting.
Whereas by the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, it was enacted that if on the Petition to Us of the Inhabitant Householders of any Town or Towns or District in England, or of any of those Inhabitants, praying for the grant of a Charter of Corporation, we, by advice of our Privy Council, should think fit by charter to create such Town, Towns, or District, or any part thereof specified in the charter with or without any adjoining place a Municipal Borough, and to incorporate the inhabitants thereof, it should be lawful for us, by the charter to extend to that Municipal Borough and the Inhabitants thereof so incorporated the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Acts.
And it was further enacted that every Petition for a Charter under the said Acts should be referred to a Committee of the Lords of our Privy Council (in the said Act called the Committee of Council) and that one month at least before the Petition should be taken into consideration by the Committee of Council, notice thereof, and of the time when it should be so taken into consideration, should be published in the London Gazette, and otherwise in such manner as the committee should direct for the purpose of making it known to all persons interested.