June 21st.—The Liberals had held a monster meeting in the Market Place, when Mr. J. Clowes occupied the chair, and the Liberal candidates (Messrs. Brogden and Marshman) had delivered addresses.
The Conservatives had also held a meeting, convened by circular, which had been addressed by Sir E. H. K. Lacon and Mr. Goodson.
July 1st.—Both parties had held meetings at Gorleston, which had been addressed by their respective candidates; each of the candidates spoke of “certain success, with fair play.”
July 5th.—The Editor states “that it is evident from the numbers who hold back their promises, that there is a great expectancy that the value of votes will rise in the market.”
July 8th.—The Liberals had been holding meetings in each of the Wards, and it was stated that “both parties are professedly confident of achieving a victory.”
July 12th.—Mr. Marshman had suddenly and unexpectedly retired from the contest, and Mr. Brogden had issued an address stating that Mr. Vanderbyl would take Mr. Marshman’s place as a candidate for the Borough; it was evident that “the struggle would be one of no ordinary character.”
The farmers in East Norfolk were agitating for a repeal of the Malt Tax, and had adopted Mr. Clare Sewell Read as their candidate.
July 15th.—Sir Thomas B. P. Beauchamp, Bart., had been selected as a colleague of the Hon. Colonel Coke, the sitting Liberal Member for that Division of the County.
At the Borough nomination the appearance of the Liberal candidates “was the signal for a regular ovation.” When something like a hearing could be obtained, Mr. E. H. L. Preston proposed, and Mr. Dumbleton seconded, Sir Edmund Henry Knowles Lacon, Bart., Mr. R. Hammond proposed, and Mr. J. Scott seconded, Alexander Brogden, Esq.; Mr. W. Worship proposed, and Mr. C. Woolverton seconded, James Goodson, Esq.; and Mr. G. Blake proposed, and Mr. J. Owles seconded, Philip Vanderbyl, Esq.
The show of hands was by an “immense majority” found in favour of Messrs. Brogden and Vanderbyl.