19.—The Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the existence of corrupt practices at the last election of members to serve in Parliament for the city of Norwich commenced its sittings at the Shirehall, Norwich. The Commissioners were Mr. George Morley Dowdeswell, Q.C., Mr. Horatio Mansfield, and Mr. John Biron. On September 4th (the fifteenth day) the Court adjourned until the 27th, when the inquiry was resumed. Sir Henry Stracey was examined on October 9th (the 27th day), and Mr. J. H. Tillett on October 11th (the 29th day). The inquiry terminated on October 15th (the 32nd day). The Chief Commissioner acknowledged the assistance given by the police and the Guardians. “We feel,” he said, “that these bodies have rendered us most efficient and signal assistance, and we only wish that other officials in this city had also offered us that assistance, and that we had not experienced obstacles on their part. We fear that the encouragement which has been given by them to persons to withhold information has led to many of those spectacles which have been to us a source of signal pain in the course of our inquiry.” The Commissioners, in their report, dated February 15th, 1870, stated that corrupt practices did not extensively prevail in Norwich at the election in November, 1868; that Sir Henry Stracey was returned through such practices; and that corrupt practices did not extensively prevail at the election of 1865 or that of 1860. Several persons were scheduled for bribery and for corruptly influencing voters by treating. The Norwich Voters Disfranchisement Bill, by which it was proposed to disfranchise 119 electors, passed its second reading in the House of Commons on May 2nd, 1870, and received the Royal assent on July 4th in the same year. (_See_ January 31st, 1870.) 30.—The Norfolk and Norwich Triennial Musical Festival commenced at St. Andrew’s Hall, Norwich, with an evening concert, at which the “Hymn of Praise” and “Acis and Galatea” were performed. The other works in the programme were the following:—Wednesday morning, September 1st, selection from “Hezekiah” and “The Fall of Babylon”; Thursday morning, September 2nd, Sacred Cantata, by Horace Hill, “Messe Solennelle” (first time of performance out of London), and the Dettingen Te Deum; Friday morning, September 3rd, “The Messiah.” Grand miscellaneous concerts were given on the evenings of August 31st and September 1st and 2nd. The principal vocalists were Mdlle. Tietjens, Mdlle. Ilma de Murska, Madame Talbot Cherer, Madame Patey, and Madame Trebelli Bettini, Mr. Vernon Rigby, Mr. Arthur Byron, Mr. W. H. Cummings, Signor Bettini, Signor Foli, and Mr. Santley. Mr. Benedict conducted. A “dress ball” took place on the evening of September 3rd. Financially the Festival was a failure, and the total receipts, about £4,000, barely covered expenses. SEPTEMBER.