1847. A meeting of the city operatives was held on Wednesday, March 23rd, in St. Andrew’s Hall, for the purpose of petitioning Parliament to abolish the law of settlement then in operation, and to establish a national poor rate. The meeting was numerously attended by working men, who manifested a great interest in the question. Several of them delivered speeches against the law of settlement and in favour of a national rate, and a petition to Parliament was adopted. Mr. Gedge spoke at some length in favour of the measure, which he believed would be carried. A public meeting of the citizens was held on December the 2nd, 1847, to consider the evils arising from the alteration of the law of settlement. The mayor (G. L. Coleman, Esq.) presided, and many influential gentlemen addressed the meeting in support of resolutions deprecating the alteration in the law, and in favour of a more equitable system than that in operation. Sir S. M. Peto, M.P. for the city expressed his concurrence, and the resolution was carried unanimously. Subsequently, several meetings were held in Norwich in favour of a national rate. During the same year, also, an association was formed in London, having the same object in view; and, eventually, the movement resulted in the passing of an Act of Parliament, by which a union poor rate was established in every county in England. This has proved to be a vast improvement of the old system, and a great advance in the direction of a national rate, but still the poor rate is levied on real property only. The most equitable system would be for every man to pay according to his ability, whether he be a landowner, a shipowner, a houseowner, a fund-holder, or an artisan. Before the Removal Act passed, the Norwich guardians were quite aware of the effect it would have on the city. In order to prove that their apprehensions were well founded, they caused a census to be taken in the city and county of those paying a yearly rental of £6 and under, and an inquiry to be instituted as to the settlement of the tenants of those houses. They found, after a full investigation, that more than a third of the houses were occupied by persons not having a settlement in Norwich, but in other districts. The operation of the act was to throw the expense of the maintenance of such persons on the city, at an estimated cost of £5000 yearly. This was represented to the government, who paid no attention to it, and the Act passed nevertheless. CHAPTER XX. Leading Events (_continued_).