Volume Ii Part 96 (1/2)
NOVEMBER.
9.-Mr. Charles Rackham Gilman was elected Mayor and Mr. Henley Curl appointed Sheriff of Norwich.
18.-It was reported at a meeting of the Norwich Town Council that plans had been deposited at the Town Clerk's office for a proposed tramway scheme. At a meeting of the Council on December 15th it was stated that another scheme had been introduced, and was known as the Norwich and District Light Railways. Its object was to bring into closer connection with the city the outlying hamlets of Costessey, Thorpe St. Andrew, Trowse Newton, and Eaton, and plans had been deposited by the New General Traction Company, Limited. Both schemes were referred to committee.
(_See_ January 19th, 1897.)
21.-The Duke of York, as president of the Norfolk and Norwich Christmas Show a.s.sociation, arrived at Norwich and visited the exhibition of the a.s.sociation at the Agricultural Hall. His Royal Highness, on leaving the show, had luncheon with Mr. Colman, at Carrow Abbey, and in the afternoon left Trowse station for Sandringham.
25.-At a meeting of the Norwich Board of Guardians a deputation was appointed to visit towns where the rate-books were made out in street older, and to obtain information upon the subject of an improved method of collecting the rates. This important matter, originally introduced by Mr. William c.o.ke Gee, resulted in the adoption of a system by which the rate-books were made out in street order, the daily collection of rates introduced, the rate collectors' districts redistributed, and the half-yearly collection ended in March and September.
27.-Died at Hill House, Mill Hill Road, Norwich, Mr. Thomas Ballan Stead, permanent secretary of the Ancient Order of Foresters. Mr. Stead came from Dundee on the removal of the headquarters of the society to Norwich.
Prior to his election as secretary to the Foresters, Mr. Stead was engaged in journalism, and devoted himself mainly to studying questions affecting the social well-being of the artizan cla.s.ses.
DECEMBER.
2.-Mr. Bancroft, the actor, gave a reading of Charles d.i.c.kens' ”Christmas Carol” at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, in aid of the Blind School and the Norwich Lying-in Charity.
9.-A regimental ball given at St. Andrew's Hall, Norwich, by Colonel Rough and officers of the 7th Dragoon Guards.
12.-Mr. Caleb Barker was elected secretary to the Norfolk Agricultural a.s.sociation in place of Mr. James Bacon, resigned.
14.-A poll was opened for the election of a vicar for the parish of St.
Andrew, Norwich. The candidates were the Rev. A. G. Copeman, son of the late vicar, the Rev. S. A. D. Suffling, and the Rev. R. Middleton. Mr.
Copeman received 170 votes, Mr. Suffling 129, and Mr. Middleton 46.
28.-Died at Park Lane, Norwich, Mr. Manning Prentice Squirrell, aged 61.
He was a son of Mr. Robert Squirrell, of Stowmarket, and head of the firm of Squirrell and Utting, merchants. In 1887 Mr. Squirrell was returned as a Liberal member of the Norwich Town Council, but dissented from his party, and at a subsequent election was defeated at the poll. A well informed man, he took great interest in economic and fiscal questions, and was an active member of the Norwich Science Gossip Club.
1897.
JANUARY.
19.-The Norwich Town Council ordered a pet.i.tion to be presented to Parliament against a scheme for the construction of electric tramways in the city. This course was adopted not in a hostile spirit, but with the object of making the best terms possible for the citizens. On February 9th the Corporation gave its consent to the Tramways Bill then before Parliament, and on February 23rd a pet.i.tion signed by nearly 23,500 inhabitants of the city was presented to the Town Council, asking them to support the projected electric tramways as distinct from the proposed scheme of light railways. The Parliamentary and By-laws Committee on April 13th reported that they had considered side by side the merits and proposals of the New General Traction Company, Limited, to construct electric tramways in the city and Thorpe, and of the British Electric Traction Company, Limited, to construct light railways in the city and district, and were of opinion that the interests of the city would be best served by making an arrangement with the former company. It was understood that the company had given an undertaking to withdraw their Bill from Parliament at any time upon the request of the Corporation. On April 23rd the Council adopted the following motion:-”(a) To enable the New General Traction Company, Limited, to carry their Bill through Parliament if terms can be arranged with the company satisfactory to the committee, for the construction of electric tramways in the city; (b) to oppose the application of the British Electric Traction Company, Limited, for an order by the Light Railway Commissioners authorising the company to construct light railways in the city and adjoining districts; (c) that the committee be authorised to take such action and incur such costs as may in their opinion be necessary to carry out the above resolutions.”
On May 31st the Norwich Electric Tramways Bill was considered by a Select Committee of the House of Commons, and it was announced that all opposition had been withdrawn; and on July 20th it was stated that the Bill had pa.s.sed through the House of Commons and been read a second time in the House of Lords. (_See_ February 5th, 1898.)
19.-The resignation of Mr. Robert Hitchman, of the office of Chief Constable, which he had held for 38 years, was received by the Norwich Town Council, who granted him a retiring pension of 273 6s. 8d.
-The Norwich Town Council accepted the offer of Messrs. Gurneys and Co.
to present to the Corporation a set of civic robes.
22.-The roads in many parts of the county were rendered impa.s.sable by snowdrifts; the river traffic between Norwich and Yarmouth was impeded by ice, and in the stormy weather which prevailed much damage was occasioned to the Yarmouth fis.h.i.+ng fleet and coast-bound vessels.
23.-A public meeting convened by the Lord-Lieutenant of the county (the Earl of Leicester) and the Mayor (Mr. C. R. Gilman) was held at the Guildhall, Norwich, to decide upon the method of celebrating locally the Diamond Jubilee of her Majesty the Queen. The Dean of Norwich moved ”That subscriptions be invited in order to raise a sum of money, to be called the Diamond Jubilee Fund, for the purpose of building a new Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children, it being the strong feeling of the meeting that no memorial could be found more typical of the tender sympathy and interest ever shown by her Majesty in the sufferings and needs of her people.” Viscount c.o.ke seconded the resolution, and a committee was appointed to raise the fund. (_See_ March 15th, 1898.)