April 25th. At a meeting held at the Guildhall, to take into consideration the state of the West India Colonies, with a view to promote the abolition of slavery, resolutions in favour of the object were carried. May 1st. The election of mayor took place, and at the close of the poll the numbers were, Alderman J. S. Patteson 835, Alderman Francis 774, Alderman Leman 101, Alderman Yallop 94. The two former were returned to the court of aldermen, who elected J. S. Patteson, Esq., to serve the office of chief magistrate. May 3rd. At a quarterly assembly of the corporation, the freedom of the city was voted to the Hon. John Wodehouse, lieutenant of the city and county. June 17th. This being Guild day, J. S. Patteson, Esq., was sworn in mayor; and he gave a splendid dinner to a large party in St. Andrew’s Hall. * * * * * 1824. In September of this year the first Norfolk and Norwich Musical Festival was held in St. Andrew’s Hall, and the concerts given were well attended by the nobility and gentry of the county. This Festival was very much promoted by Mr. Edward Taylor, Mr. R. M. Bacon, then editor of the _Mercury_, and other amateurs in the city, and proved eminently successful, the hospital receiving the sum of £2,399 out of the profits. In 1825, King George IV. presented the hospital with a copy of Arnold’s edition of Handel’s Works. It was determined that a triennial festival should be held in aid of the funds of the institution, and that the Norwich Choral Society should be maintained in an efficient state for that purpose. CHAPTER XVI. Norwich Navigation. ABOUT this time a very important movement took place in the city, with the view to make “Norwich a port,” and many meetings were held to promote that object. Here, therefore, will be a proper place to review the proceedings in reference to our navigation to Yarmouth and Lowestoft. The history will show the grasping selfishness of the old corporation at Yarmouth, which always tried to tax the trade of the city, and opposed every improvement, even when it was for the benefit of both towns. Norwich, no doubt, derived its mercantile and carrying trade from its original situation as a sea-port. In ancient times the _Gariensis Ostium_, or mouth of the Yare, extended in breadth from Burgh Castle to Caister, the two Roman camps being opposite each other. The spot on which Yarmouth now stands was then covered by water, and a broad arm of the sea extended all over the present marshes to the city, which was then a sea-port, before Yarmouth had any existence. This appears from the legal contests that took place in later times between the burgesses of Yarmouth and the citizens of Norwich.