May 16—The first anniversary of the Worcestershire Natural History Society held in the Guildhall, Edward Holland, Esq., the newly elected president, in the chair. Dr. Streeten read the report of the committee. In the evening the members dined together at the Crown Hotel, Broad Street.
June 2—The first general exhibition of paintings opened in Worcester, in the lecture room of the Athenæum, Foregate Street. It contained 195 pictures, and was a most admirable selection. Amongst others were—“Cupid interceding for Psyche,” by Etty; Constable’s “Barge on the Stour;” David Roberts’s “Antwerp Cathedral;” two from the easel of Alexander Frazer; and others by Stanfield, Danby, Pickersgill, Chalon, Jackson, Howard, Creswick, &c.; while the local artists were also very fairly represented. The pictures were very ably criticised in the Worcester Herald, by a gentleman named Cary, who, for this purpose, adopted the sobriquet of “Lorenzo.”
July—Petitions sent up to Parliament, from various parishes in the city and county, expressing confidence in the Established Church, and praying that Dissenters might be kept out of the Universities.
August 1—The first number of The Analyst, a monthly journal of literature and natural history, principally devoted to the midland counties, published in Worcester. It was edited by William Holl, Esq., and reached a tenth volume. It was a clever and readable publication.
August 17—The Bishop of Exeter preached at Hallow Church on behalf of the Sunday schools. Next day the Rev. Prelate visited Worcester, and was presented by the Mayor with a handsomely bound copy of Green’s History of Worcester, as a token of admiration of his zealous defence of the establishment.
September 1—Lord Deerhurst, while shooting in Sir Charles Cockerell’s covers, at Sezincote, received the contents of a gun in his face, and lost the sight of his right eye.
September 25—Church rate contest at Dudley, carried on with all the zeal witnessed at a general election. The anti-rate party had a few weeks before defeated the church party in vestry, but another meeting was called for this day, when a rate of 10d. in the pound was proposed by Mr. Isaac Badger, and carried on a poll by 474 to 390 votes.
Local Act—For better supplying the town of Dudley with water.
1835.
As the Reform enthusiasm had passed away, the elections resulted unfavourably for the Whigs—the great majority of the counties returning Conservative members. The Whigs, however, finding that they still possessed a majority in the new house, set themselves to oppose Sir Robert Peel’s Government on every point. They carried Mr. Abercromby, as Speaker, by a majority of 10, and an amendment on the address by a majority of 7. Sir Robert, however, continued to bring forward his measures, some of which were generally approved of, and he bade fair to gain the confidence of the country even under such disadvantageous circumstances. But on the introduction of the Tithe Bill for Ireland, Lord John Russell moved that no settlement of Irish Church affairs would be satisfactory on any other basis than that of appropriating its surplus revenues to educational purposes; and this was carried by a majority of 27. Sir Robert Peel and his colleagues then retired from office, and Lord Melbourne again became Prime Minister. The rest of the session was almost wholly spent in passing the Municipal Reform Bill, and an attempt to carry a Bill for regulating the Irish Church, which was so mutilated in the Lords that ministers abandoned it. Consols averaged 91; wheat, 39s. 4d.