Between 1840 and 1850 the corporation of Norwich, aided by the city merchants, made a most determined effort to improve the navigation to Yarmouth. A large subscription was raised for this purpose, and Mr. Cockburn Curtiss, the engineer, was engaged to make a survey of the river Yare, and to prepare plans. He did so, and his plans were approved by the citizens generally; but the corporation of Yarmouth gave notice of a strong opposition. Application was made to parliament for a bill giving the corporation here jurisdiction over the river down to the mouth of the Haven. The bill was opposed and lost, and the Norwich corporation were defeated after an expenditure of some thousands of pounds. CHAPTER XVII. Leading Events (_continued_). WE resume our chronological list of the leading events of the century:— * * * * * 1825. January 5th. At a public meeting held at the Guildhall, a Mechanics’ Institution was established, and it was continued for some years in the rooms above the Bazaar, St. Andrew’s. March. Cleansing week passed off without opposition for the second time. April 7th. The clergy of the archdeaconry of Norwich agreed to petition in favour of the claims of the Catholics to have the same political rights and privileges as other people. April 18th. At a public meeting, held in St. Andrew’s Hall, a petition for a revision of the Corn Laws was adopted unanimously. The petition afterwards received 14,385 signatures, and was forwarded on the 26th to be presented to parliament. As yet it was not proposed to _repeal_ the Corn Laws, which were then a monstrous injustice. May 1st. The election for mayor took place, and the numbers were for Alderman Day, 679; Alderman Booth, 597; Alderman Leman, 152; Alderman Burt, 150. Thomas Starling Day, Esq., was elected. May 3rd. The corporation adopted a petition against the Catholic claims, the members going quite out of their way to perpetuate a great wrong. May 31st. The anniversary of the birthday of the Rt. Hon. William Pitt was celebrated by the members of the castle corporation. June 11th. The first stone of the new theatre was laid, and it was erected on the present site. The building is only a piece of patch-work, and has no pretensions to architectural design. It is no credit to the city in any respect. It was opened on March 27th, in the following year. June 21st. The mayor (T. S. Day, Esq.,) was sworn into office; he afterwards gave a dinner to upwards of 460 gentlemen in St. Andrew’s Hall. August 30th. A contest took place for freemen’s sheriff; at the close of the poll the numbers were for Mr. Brookes, 865; Alderman Springfield, 501. The former was returned.