NOTES OF THE QUARTER

THE most noteworthy incidents of the past somewhat uneventful quarter have been the persistently wet and stormy autumn, and the stoppage of Messrs. Mills, Bawtree & Co's bank; the disastrous consequences of which will be mostly felt in the eastern part of the county. A good deal also has been said and done with regard to technical education.

Wrecks and Rescues.
THE severe gales of this autumn have driven many vessels on the dangerous sands that surround our coast; several have been lost, some, doubtless, never being seen or heard of. Many casualties and wrecks have been recorded, but we cannot allude to all the hard work that has fallen to the crews of the Clacton, Harwich, and Walton lifeboats. On October 27th the Clacton lifeboat rescued the crew of eleven from the barque Oliver Cromwell, which had drifted on to the Whitaker Spit, laden with deals from Aland, Finland. On December 1st this same lifeboat, the Albert Edward, was nearly fifteen hours at sea, attempting to rescue the A. Patterson, of Dover, aground on the N.E. Maplin, coal laden, from Newcastle to London. On the awful night of December 11th, the Walton and Harwich lifeboats both went out in answer to signals of distress from the sunk and cork lightships; neither was successful, and it is feared that more than one vessel perished on the Galloper Sands that night. Another loss that we know of --- that of the English ship Enterkin, with the loss of twenty-eight hands on this Galloper Sand --- raises the question of the desirability of telegraphic or telephone communication between lightships and the nearest coast-guard or lifeboat stations. The Galloper lightship men did all their means would allow them to do, their signals being repeated to the Longsand and to the Sunk, the Cork repeating them to Harwich. Thus great delay was necessarily occasioned in getting the Harwich lifeboat out; but the worst was that they had to proceed from lightship to lightship, and so, by shouting to the respective crews, get directed to the Galloper; then they had no idea of the position of the wreck, and had ultimately to return from a fruitless errand. During the night all the crew of thirty-one hands had perished but three; the apprentice (C. J. Lewis) had scrambled into the mizzen rigging, and was rescued by the crew of the Briton's Pride, at terrible risk to themselves. Two others were picked off the floating wreckage by a Ramsgate smack. Gallant crew

It was HENRY WINSTANLEY, of Littlebury, in this county, who was the unfortunate architect of the first Eddystone Lighthouse, as he perished with his great work in the storm of the night of November 26th, 1703. It was LIONEL LUKIN, of Dunmow, who was the first to build a life or "unimmersible" boat as he called it, patented in 1785. It was another Essex man,GEORGE PALMER, of Nazing Park, who did so much to improve the build of the lifeboat. Cannot a fourth devise some means of communication with our lightships?

Bank Failure.
A PROFOUND sensation was caused in Colchester, Witham, and throughout East Essex on the morning of all of Messrs. Mills, Bawtree, Dawnay, Curzon & Co.'s bank. This was an old established firm founded about ninety years ago byMr. JOHN MILLS, tea merchant, of High Street, Colchester, under the style of Twining and Mills. Subsequently Mr. JOHN BAWTREE (grandfather of the present Mr. John Bawtree) went into partnership; also Mr. John Mills' son, JOHN FLETCHER MILLS, of Lexden Park. For many years the bank was known as Mills, Bawtree & Co. The Late Mr. G. H. ERRINGTON, who died at Lexden Park in March, 1883, married a daughter of Mr. John Fletcher Mills, and became a partner in the bank. Mr. John Bawtree, senior, died on November 21st, 1873, having been a member of the firm for nearly fifty years. Mr. OCTAVIUS BAWTREE, younger brother of the present Mr. John Bawtree, was subsequently associated with the firm, and a few years since the Hon. E. H. DAWNAY and Mr. R. I. CURZON were taken into partnership: the present proprietors thus being Messrs. John Bawtree, Eustace Henry Dawnay, Octavius Bawtree, and Robert Lothian Curzon. With head-quarters at Colchester, there were branches at Witham, Kelvedon, Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-Naze, and Hadleigh.

A Large meeting of creditors was held at Colchester under the chairmanship of the mayor on December 18th, when a detailed statement of the bank's affairs was made by Mr. CHARLES FITCH KEMP, of the well-known firm of Ford, Kemp & Co., chartered accountants, of Lombard Street. This included a proposition that Messrs. Gurneys, Round, Green & Co., and Messrs. Sparrow, Tufnell & Co., had arranged to take over the business and to sanction the declaration of a dividend of ten shillings in the pound at once; Mr. Kemp adding that he thought another five shillings might probably be payable in future years. This appears to have been taken as quite satisfactory, but no reason was vouchsafed for the stoppage or any reference made to the circumstances which brought it about.

In the debtors' statement of affairs lately filed under the bankruptcy proceedings the liabilities are returned as amounting to £516,315 13s. 3d., and the assets to £323,202 11s. 1d., leaving a deficiency £193,113 2s. 2d.

Both the Essex Standard and the East Anglian Daily Times of January 2nd contain a list of the creditors --- the total number reaching close upon 3,000 --- of the bank for amounts exceeding £50. This shows no single creditor for any very large amount. The number of public bodies included in the list is very considerable, and to them great inconvenience, to say the least, must be caused. A sadder feature is the names of many charitable institutions and benefit societies to whom the losses occasioned will be a grave disaster. Many co-operative, building and similar societies seem to be very hardly hit. The list also contains the names of several funds for public purposes, such as church restorations and improvements.

Mr. CHARLES FITCH KEMP, an Essex man, has been appointed special manager of the bank's affairs by Mr. Messent, the official receiver.

The stoppage of an important bank causes considerable and wide-spread inconvenience and trouble. The last Essex experience of this was in 1825, a most disastrous year with provincial banks, when about seventy-five failed. On December 17th, 1825, the Chelmsford and Maldon bank of Messrs. Crickitt, Russell & Co. failed suddenly and unexpectedly. May it be long before a similar event takes place in our county.

Technical Instructions.
UNDER the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Act, 1890, the county has received a sum of £16,459 8s. 10d. from the Beer and Spirit Duties. Under a resolution of the County Council passed on January 6th, 1891, all this sum is to be applied for the purposes of Technical Education, in accordance with the Technical Instructions Acts of 1889 and 1891.

This comparatively new work of providing technical and secondary education has shown remarkable and rapid development throughout the country, and many varied schemes have been put into operation. In Essex an immense amount of work has been provided for the Technical Instruction Committee, and their efforts have been successful in covering nine-tenths of the county with influential local committees whose aim will be to direct the new work in the proper channels for each separate district, to ascertain and make known its wants, and to stimulate and excite public and local interest; by their active co-operation and assistance so to exert most powerful and suitable influence on the progress of the technical education and its wide distribution in our county, probably for many years to come. Local schemes, dealing with 343 parishes, have been approved by the committee, and grants for the purpose of carrying them out have been made to each responsible local body at the rate of one penny in the £ on the County Rate Assessment. Mr. J. H. NICHOLAS, of Braintree, is the energetic Secretary to the Committee.

Technical instruction has been shortly defined as science applied to human industries; and without dilating on the need for this new development of education in our own county, we cannot but rejoice at the way in which the teaching about and from things, rather than books --- the training of the hand and eye as well as the brain, so raising the aims and improving the workmanship of our labourers and mechanics --- has been taken up. Previously there had been but little provision for the work in Essex, but already great progress has been made, and great appreciation of the efforts put forth by the various authorities has been shown. But we are still quite in the initial stage of this movement, and in our next number full details of the work done and the subjects taught will be given.

We can now only refer to the success that attended the travelling Dairy School, in connection with which Miss DORA WILLIAMS, who had done similar work for the County Councils of Cheshire and Flint, held classes and gave practical demonstrations at six centres --- Braintree, Saffron Walden, Dunmow, Ongar, Epping and Southend --- to 105 pupils. At the end of the session a butter-making competition among the pupils was held at Chelmsford, on November 4th, when thirty pupils entered and all attended; this was most successful, and altogether, we believe, the results obtained have more than exceeded the expectations of the promoters. The services of Miss WILLIAMS as instructress, and Mr. J. A. BELCHER, of Sandon, as manager, have been retained for the ensuing year, and this useful work will be resumed in February.

The Joint Committee of the County Council and Essex Field Club have done good work in providing for the higher teaching, and in supplying necessary apparatus throughout the county. Eleven lecturers are now at work under their directions, but details must be reserved till a future occasion. Three teachers of the Slojd system have returned from Sweden, and have commenced holding classes for teachers in six centres; arrangements have also been made for instruction being given to future teachers in cookery, domestic economy, and the laws of health.

The weighty importance of providing good secondary education for the young of comparatively poor parents has not been neglected, but as yet no satisfactory scheme has been developed. Whether it shall be by providing a number of scholarships from technical classes, or from public elementary schools, tenable in our endowed schools, or by providing one or more technical and agricultural institutes at the expense and under the direction of the county, has not been decided.

Free Libraries.
THE handsome bequest of Mr. RICHARD CATCHPOOL towards the establishment of a Free Library in Colchester was followed by the adoption of the Act by the Borough. The vote of October gave a majority of 617 in a poll of 3,205. In apology for some of the 1,294 who disgraced themselves and the town by voting against the movement, it may be said that some owners of cottage property threatened to raise the weekly rents in a most inordinate degree if the Acts were adopted. The rash opposition also issued handbills untruly alleging that Library rates in other towns had exceeded the one penny limit imposed by the Act. It was further stated that unauthorised collectors had destroyed voting papers of contrary tendency to their personal predilections. But no demand for revision or investigation was made, and the Act is adopted; only for the second time in Essex.

At Barking the Library Committee report a gratifying state of things, both as to finances and as to the public appreciation of the boon. There has been an increase of 29 per cent. in books (1,858 to 2,275) and of 54 per cent. (518 - 798) in borrowers of books, besides full use of the reading room and reference library. The extension has been principally by donation, and the committee hope for a continuance of such generous addition to the small balance which current expenses leave out of the one penny rate.

University Extension Lectures at Colchester.
A SERIES of twelve lectures on the History of the Civil War has been delivered at the Town Hall, Colchester, during the last few months, by Mr. H. E. MALDEN, M.A., of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. The increase, throughout the sixteenth century, of the several antagonistic religious bodies, and of resentment at the coercive measures adopted in different directions by the vacillating Henry VIII, and his successors, was shown to have culminated in the appeal to arms in which the siege of Colchester formed an incident of very considerable importance. Dr. JESSOPP pleads in the December number of the Nineteenth Century in characteristic style, and with much good sense, for the teaching of history in England. He declares that, notwithstanding the brilliant men whom the Oxford School of History has produced and the fact that the heaviest historical books have a brisk and remunerative sale, there is not a civilised community upon earth whose people are so ignorant of their history as Englishmen. This truth is the sadder because there is no history so well worth studying as the history of the English people. The doctor pertinently asks "Why should not English history, or at least some portion of English history, be made a compulsory subject in all standards above the third? Why should not School Boards and school managers do their best to roll away the reproach that we deserve to have brought against us?" He specially urges the teaching of history, from a local standpoint. This is what has been done at Colchester; the interest and appreciation shown has been similar to that attending Dr. JESSOPP'S church and parish lectures.

Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee.
THIS board has secured many convictions under the single Bye-Law which is enforced in its district. This was aimed at preventing the Thames, especially, being converted into a gigantic dustbin and refuse receptacle, so seriously damaging the valuable oyster-beds, shrimping grounds, and other fishing interests around our coast. In the first case or two the Bench fined the defendants £10 and costs, but in two cases lately tried at the Southend Petty Session, the maximum penalty of £20 and costs was inflicted on Philip Gregory and on Isaac Stone, both being barge-captains who were convicted of throwing rubbish into the river. We have the testimony of both Kent and Essex fishermen that the action taken by this new body has already been a blessing and protection to poor fishermen, and that in several localities many hundreds of bushels of shrimps had lately been caught on ground that was previously completely destroyed for all fishing purposes.

At the last meeting of the committee on December 14th, besides much on the refuse question, other matters of considerable interest and importance were discussed. The artillery ranges in the river Thames; the removal of cultch from the beds of rivers and parts of the sea; the catching of immature fish; the regulation of in-shore fishing generally; the prohibition of the taking of whitebait (young fry of sprat and herring); the sale of foreign and deep-sea oysters during the summer months; the desirability of a close time for the catching and sale of shrimps; the treating of London sewage and the regulation of the discharge of sludge. A separate article on this committee and its vigorous action will shortly appear in our pages.

Essex Chamber of Agriculture.
THIS Chamber was established in 1867, and in its time has done some useful work. For the last few years it has been in a very moribund state, whether because its work is accomplished, or fallen into other hands, or from other causes, is not for us to say. At a Council meeting held on December 18th, it was agreed to recommend to the Annual Meeting to be held on January 15th, 1892, that the Chamber be dissolved.

Essex as a Coal-field.
THE interest which has been evoked by correspondence in several of the Essex newspapers on the question as to whether any part of the county is underlaid at workable depth by coal seams has its origin necessarily in the possible wealth so concealed from sight. It is not our function to deal with the scientific aspects of the matter; but may we point out that, whilst the lion's share of the pecuniary profits of coal-mining accrue to the owner of the soil, every inhabitant of the county would be directly benefited by the cheapness of fuel, the increased activity of every branch of trade, and the intellectual development consequent upon fuller intercourse with men of other districts and countries. The extended seaboard of the county with its deep estuaries running far inland (and be it noted, all within the area hypothetically defined as situated over coal-bearing rocks) would afford greater facilities for the coasting and export trade than most of the British coal-fields enjoy. Prognostications of the destruction of rural beauty are due to forgetfulness of the factor of depth in determining the scarcity or frequency of pits. It is only where coal comes to the surface that every small freehold, sometimes every field, has its unsightly heap of black pit-waste. Where greater depths have to be pierced, and especially through rocks charged with water, pits are few and far between, and waste is kept below, the landscape maintaining its natural verdure.

Bibliograhy of Essex.
THE compilation of a general bibliography of the county, which has long been under consideration, has been at last commenced. A strong committee was formed under the presidency of LORD RAYLIEGH, and an executive committee, including the presidents of the Essex Archæological Society and the Essex Field Club, and the secretaries of the latter body and the Essex and Chelmsford Museum, with other county literati, at once drew up rules for the system of entry to be followed, and engaged Mr. W. H. DALTON, a bibliographer of many years' experience, to execute the bulk of the work, with such assistance as members of the committee or others should afford. The purpose is to include all books, pamphlets, magazine articles, maps, prints, and other publications that wholly or largely treat of the Topography or History of the County of Essex; or that have been written by or about natives of or residents in the county; together with all works that have been published within its borders. Some 10,000 titles have already been entered, but there must be fully as many more works lying unknown and unread on the shelves of the British Museum, or stored away in dust and oblivion in cupboards and garrets. Possessors of such will oblige by communicating the fact to the editor or publishers of the ESSEX REVIEW, especially where the works in question are of merely local interest (as for instance, sermons preached in outlying villages, facetious or political pamphlets, chap-books, stray "poems," etc.). All are to be entered, regardless of intrinsic merit or the want of it.

Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower.
AT the Quarter Sessions held at Chelmsford on October 21st, it was resolved "that a petition be presented to Her Majesty praying that an Order in Council be made to unite the Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower to the County of Essex, so far as the same is not already united by the Local Government Act, 1888." There was no opposition to this proposition, so it is most probable that the high steward, magistrates, clerk of the peace, coroner and quarter sessions of the Liberty will soon be things of the past. The Liberty includes the parishes of Romford, which important market town is now the head of the Liberty; Hornchurch, the original mother parish and an important place in early times --- the site of the Horned Monastery; and Havering, which contained the royal palace. The chief governing charters of the Liberty are those of 5th Edward IV (1465-6) and 30th Elizabeth (1587-8), and one of the unique privileges granted was the choice "of one of the discreetest and honestest tenants or inhabitants" as people's magistrate. This privilege was exercised last July by the election of Major HENRY HOLMES in the room of the late Mr. C. P. MATTHEWS. When the requisite order for merging this special jurisdiction in the county is obtained, and the Liberty Archives are transferred to Chelmsford, we shall take the opportunity of giving a further historical sketch of the peculiar privileges.

New Churches.
WE hear of but two new churches built in Essex during the past year --- the new parish church at Epping and the Kelvedon Roman Catholic Church. We have no information of newly-opened chapels of the Nonconformist bodies, and we trust that our silence in this respect will not be misconstrued into partisanship. We wish to be absolutely impartial, but cannot refuse important intelligence of State churches, because equally desirable news of Nonconformist development has not reached us.

EPPING. The new church is constructed externally, and to a very considerable extent internally, of wrought stone. The style of architecture is Gothic of the fourteenth century, and strictly in accordance with our old national style at its best period. It is covered in with a wagon roof with moulded panels. The plan consists of a nave of five bays, terminated by a lofty carved oak screen, a chancel of two bays, and a sanctuary of one bay. When completed the church will have two aisles, but only the south aisle has been built at present. There is a side chapel at the south side of the chancel, and the vestry and sacristy adjoin the chapel. The chief feature of the interior is the lofty arcade on the south side. The piers and arches are moulded boldly, but with refinement and delicacy. There is no chancel arch, but one continuous width for the nave and chancel. Oak screens, however, mark the distinctive parts of the fabric. The chancel screen is surmounted by a carved oak cross. The large east window is of seven lights. The subject of the central light is "The Crucifixion," and the subject of the central lights of the group are "The Risen Christ," and "The Blessed Virgin with our Lord." The window has been given by Mr. E. J. WYTHES, in memory of his father and mother. The window in the side chapel is given by the Rev. E. BUCKMASTER (vicar), in memory of a brother, the subjects being St. Stephen, St. Christopher, and St. Dunstan. The font and lectern are the gifts of Miss WHITEMAN and friends. The roofs of the nave and chancel are decorated in colours, and there is a good deal of rich gilding and illuminated lettering in the chancel roof. The church is seated with chairs, and will accommodate 700 worshippers. The tower will rise on the south side of the church, and will be connected with it by a cloister-like passage. The trustees of the old chapel-of-ease gave the pulpit (stone and carved oak), and Mrs. PATCHETT, a sister of the vicar, gave a chalice. By an Act of Parliament obtained in 1888, the new church is made the parish church, and the old parish church of All Saints' at Epping Upland, fully three miles from the town, will be a chapel-of-ease. In 1848 Mr. JOHN CLARMONT WHITEMAN, then of Theydon Grove, gave a piece of land adjoining the old chapel-of-ease of St. John the Baptist, to whom the new church is dedicated. Miss ELIZABETH HORSLEY WHITEMAN gave £3,000 for securing the Act of Parliament and for opening the building fund. Of this sum about £2,500 was available for the church. Her liberality was followed up by Mr. E. J. WYTHES, of Copt Hall, lord of the manor, with a handsome contribution of £4,000. The Rev. E. BUCKMASTER, the respected vicar, gave in all £1,800, and other donations enabled the work to go to its present extent, but the building of the north aisle and tower must be postponed indefinitely, for want of funds.

KELVEDON. The new Roman Catholic Church o Mary Immaculate and the Holy Archangels, lately opened, has been built in connection with the Catholic Orphanage, at the expense of Mr. R. E. RANN, J.P., of Hill House, Messing, and a few of his friends, and the furniture has been provided by the congregation. The building adjoins the orphanage, and stands on the ground formerly occupied by the old school. It is built of red brick with stone dressings, and is in the Gothic style of architecture. It consists of chancel, nave, Lady chapel, and sacristy, with a corridor connecting the nave to the convent. The interior is finished with red-facing bricks, with blue string-course, and the roof is of pitch pine, trussed. The nave is divided from the Lady chapel by an arcade worked in fine Corsham stone, and in the west end are two stained-glass windows, one dedicated to Mary Immaculate, and the other to St. Joseph. On the south side is a handsome stained-glass window in memory of Mr. THOS. BURTON RANN and CATHERINE his wife. It is dedicated to St. Thomas and St. Catherine. In the east end of the Lady chapel is a small rich window filled in with cherubim, and in the west end is a beautiful window dedicated to "St. Anne and the blessed Virgin." In the chapel is a piscina, and in the east end is a three-light stained-glass window representing the three archangels. On the north side is a small window representing the guardian angel and child, in memory of AGNES LUCY RANN. The altar is of stone and handsome Aberdeen marble, the foot piece being laid with mosaic paving, with white marble kerb. The chancel floor is paved with encaustic tiles.

Church Restorations, &c.
To record all the restorations and minor alterations made in Essex churches during 1891 would exceed the space at command in the present issue. We notice some only of the many.

CHESTERFORD. All Saints' Church, Great Chesterford, is built in the Perpendicular style, is very lofty, and has a spacious nave and side aisles. All three roofs have been thoroughly repaired. The stonework has been re-dressed, all the windows have been renewed, and cathedral glass has been inserted throughout. The inner walls have been re-faced, and the outer walls repaired with flint and pebble. The floor has been re-laid with deal blocks, and the old benches substituted by rush-seated chairs. The old vestry has been demolished, and a new one formed at the extreme east end of the north aisle, on the spot where the organ formerly stood. The latter now stands in the south transept. The south porch has been removed, and a window takes the place of the door, which has been removed further west. A movement is on foot for the re-building of the tower, probably on the site of one which existed some centuries back, the foundations of which have been recently discovered.

COLCHESTER. The ancient and peculiarly interesting Chorch of St. Martin's, Colchester, the upper part of the tower of which was demolished by the cannon of Gerneral Fairfax during the siege of Colchester, has, through the exertions of the present rector, the Rev. H. P. WILLIAMS, and a committee of parishioners and others, just undergone considerable restoration, the work being designed by the Rev. E. GELDART, of Braxted, as a portion of a larger scheme, to be completed as soon as funds permit. The nave, aisles and chancel have been re-paved. A new carved stone base for the pulpit has been provided. The walls have been distempered with various colours --- red, green, orange, mauve, yellow, &c. The old gallery at the west end has been taken down, and the tower arch opened up. The capitals of the pillars, which were in a terrible condition, have been restored, and a stone screen has been placed in the north wall of the chancel. Outside, a temporary vestry has been erected, and the foundations for a permanent one laid over a large heating chamber, which has been excavated in the churchyard on the site once occupied by a chantry chapel. The chancel roof has been re-tiled. a very handsome oak eagle lectern has been given by a lady, and a beautiful altar cross by Mrs. W. LAING, widow of the late rector. The present incumbent, in appealing for further funds, writes that the church was built in the reign of Edward I, about 500 years ago, probably upon the site of a much earlier structure. It contains many interesting features: a turret with stone staircase inside the church; a window seat with piscina beyond; an oaken arch in the chancel with king posts; some oak carving which was brought from the roof of a house at the Head-gate; and a perpendicular font, which has lately been restored and adorned with marble basement. After the paint and whitewash had been taken off the basin, several leaden bullets were discovered embedded in the stone, undoubtedly lodged there during a skirmish which took place after the siege of the town, when St Martin's, being used as a barrack by the royalist troops, was attacked by the parliamentary forces. About seven years ago the exterior of the building was put into a fair state of repair; and some time ago the chancel roof attracted the attention of the late Sir GILBERT SCOTT, and was partially restored by him at his own expense.

STANFORD-LE-HOPE. Sixteen years ago the then newly appointed rector, the Rev. J. E. SEDGWICK, D.D., began the much-needed restoration of the parish church. During these years he has succeeded in restoring the nave and chancel, putting on them entirely new roofs; in rebuilding the tower, in re-casting six excellent bells; in placing in the tower a lighted clock; in building a new churchyard wall; in restoring the east front; and completing the new vestries so much needed by the clergy and choir. The west window, which represents "A Judgement," bears the dedication inscription:
A. D. M. G. and in loving memory of WILFRID EDWARD, the only son of his mother, S. H. LILLA HAILSTONE, at rest, July 20th, 1881, aged 17.
A two-light window has been presented by the Guild of St. Margaret, and placed in the west wall of the north aisle. Eight quatrefoils in the clerestory have been filled by various friends as "memorials" and "thank-offerings," with heads of St. John the Divine, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Alban, and SS. Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The new lych gate is to the memory of the Rev. F. A. ALBAN WYLD, of Romford. The clerestory window of St. Alban, Martyr, was also placed to his memory by his friend, the Rector of St. Margaret's, Stanford-le-Hope.

Mayors.
ON November 9th the following gentlemen were elected as Mayors of our six Essex boroughs --- Chelmsford, Councillor JOHN TAYLOR (the Mayor designate, Councillor JOHN CHAMP, having died suddenly on October 12th). Colchester, Councillor WILSON MARRIAGE. Maldon, Councillor EDWARD ARTHUR FITCH (for the second time). Saffron Walden, Councillor J. P. ATKINSON, M.D. West Ham, Alderman GEORGE HAY (for the second time). At Harwich, Alderman W. GROOM was elected; he declined the office, Alderman J. H. VAUX was elected; he also declined to take office; and on November 20th Alderman JAMES DURRANT was unanimously elected Mayor for the ensuing year. Councillor G. H. GRIMWOOD was re-elected Mayor of Sudbury. Portraits of the Mayors of Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon, Saffron Walden, and Sudbury appeared in the Essex Standard for November 14th. It is expected that Southend will be incorporated shortly; a draft charter is in preparation; then there will be another Mayor to add to the list. The borough of Leyton will probably be the next to follow suit.

Increase of Essex Electorate.
THE subjoined interesting table shows the number of parliamentary voters in each of the eight divisions of the county. The new register has an increase in every division, varying from 9 in the Epping Division to 1,222 in the Romford Division, the largest constituency in the country.