Yarmouth Notes, 1830-1872. Collated from the File of the Norwich Mercury

by Frederick Danby Palmer

The Poor’s Rate was 1s. 6d. for the quarter.

Feb. 18th.—H.M. Line of Battle-ship “Blenheim,” 74, had steamed into the Roads.

Feb. 21st.—A “Poor’s Rate” meeting had been held at the Masonic Hall. Mr. W. Livingston presided, and a resolution protesting against the 1s. 6d. quarterly rate was adopted. Messrs J. Rivett, Joseph Neave, Royal, R. Bailey, Nichols, and F. Starling spoke on the subject, while the conduct of the Guardians was defended by Mr. J. H. Harrison, one of the Board.

Feb. 25th.—A case which excited considerable interest, had been heard at the County Court, Tolhouse-hall, before the Judge (T. J. Birch, Esq.) The plaintiff was Mr. John Cobb, leather merchant, for whom Mr. C. H. Chamberlin appeared; the defendants were Messrs. W. N. Burroughs and G. D. Palmer, who were represented by Mr. J. L. Cufaude. The plaintiff stated that he was a candidate for the office of Councillor for the Market-ward, in November, 1851, and that he became such at the solicitation of Messrs. W. N. Burroughs and G. D. Palmer. At the time he became a candidate he distinctly told them that he would not pay out of his own pocket more than £10 towards the expenses of the election, and it was understood that the Liberal party, to which he belonged, would subscribe the remainder. The evening before the election he received an estimate of what the expenses were likely to be, and in consequence of that he at once saw both Mr. Burroughs and Mr. G. D. Palmer. That estimate, he believed, amounted to about £45, while the subscriptions altogether amounted to but £42. After some conversation they agreed to hold him harmless of the amount of the expenses that might exceed the sum subscribed, and he and Mr. Burroughs then went to the Committee-room of the North-ward, where Mr. Burroughs said they had made arrangements for their friend John Cobb winning the Market-ward. The expenses of the election, which he (the plaintiff) lost, amounted altogether to £58 1s. 7d. The balance, therefore, which he now claimed from the defendants was £16 1s. 7d.—The plaintiff, in cross-examination by Mr. Cufaude, admitted that £39 of the whole amount was for — —.—Mr. Cufaude contended that if, as the plaintiff stated, the defendants had given him a guarantee for the surplus expenses, the guarantee ought to have been in writing. And, assuming the evidence was true, which, however, he disputed, it was impossible for the plaintiff to recover, inasmuch as he himself had allowed that a large part of the whole of the expenses was for — —, which was an illegal act.—Mr. Chamberlin contended that the plaintiff, after receiving the promise from the defendants, acted only upon the faith of that promise, and that therefore, as they had entered upon an engagement to pay the money, they were liable. The money, moreover, had not been spent by the plaintiff, but by the committee appointed to conduct the election, and until the election was over, the plaintiff was not aware that any of the money had been spent in — —.—His Honour said it was clear the guarantee should have been in writing. He was of opinion, also, that the plaintiff was not bound to pay the illegal charges, and consequently he could not bring his action for the money which he claimed.—The plaintiff was, accordingly, non-suited.

March 4th.—The “Branch,” a schooner of 150 tons, had been launched from Messrs. Fellows and Son’s yard.

A distress warrant had been issued against the effects of Mr. James Lawn, draper, Broad Row, for 5s. 3d. due for Church rate. Mr. Cufaude, who appeared for the Churchwardens, stated that the amount of defalcations on the present rate was “about £14 or £15.”

A meeting of the shareholders in the Yarmouth and Haddiscoe Railway had been held at the Star Hotel. R. Hammond, Esq., presided, and there were present—C. C. Aldred, Esq., (the Mayor), C. J. Palmer, T. Brightwen, William H. Palmer, E. H. L. Preston, W. C. Reynolds, E. P. Youell, G. G. Day, H. Danby-Palmer, and William Day, Esqs.

March 11th.—N. Palmer, Esq., (Recorder), had appointed John B. Bales (late Sergeant-at-Mace) an Inspector of Weights and Measures in the room of Mr. Wall.

The address of Messrs. Torrens McCullagh and Edward Watkin to the electors appears in this issue.

March 14th.—The Liberal electors had held a meeting at the Corn Exchange, J. Shelly, Esq., in the chair, when both candidates delivered addresses, and a resolution pledging the meeting to support them was unanimously carried.