The Cinpue Ports.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13673, 15 August 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Cinpue Ports.

SOME HISTORIC MTMORIES. (By Henry W .Lucy.) On-June 25th Lord Brassey was with ancient pomp and ceremony, installed Loid Warden of the Cinque Ports. ,As compared with modem baronies and earldoms, this proud title is as ancient as the hills. The first Lord Warden was Godwyn, Earl of Kept, who received the office at the hands of EdwaTd the Confessor. He wa<? succeeded by his son Harold, last, of the Saxon kings, who' fell at Hastings. 'Coming down to comparatively modem times, we find William Pitt in residence at Walmer Castle by right of the Lord Wardenship The Earl of Liverpool stands next on the roll Following him in order, are the Duke of Wellington, the Marquis ofDalhousie, Lord Palmerston, Earl Granville, Mr. W. H. Smith, the Marquis of Dufferin, Lord Curzon, and the Prince of Wales. Loul Curzon's tenancy was marked bv a catastrophe that cast what proved a fatal blight over the castle. Lady Cur?on, whose peisonal charm shone in India, as it had illumined London, there caught a disease which ultimately cut short a beautiful life. ALLUREMENTS OP WALMER. There was strong allurement in the historic associations of Walmer Castle which made its possession a coveted prize. W. H. Smith, the "Old Morality" of the first Unionist House ,of Commons, 'was enchanted with the place, and contemplated passing there the quiet afternoon of a busy life. He found only time to die ihere. Having spent considerable sums in nuking the castle a comfortable seaside residence, haying brought round his yacht Pandora, within a few cable-lengths of the battlements, with intent to make daily cruises about the Channel whilsL others tslaved in Downing Street, Westminster and the Strand, the <md suddenly came, and there was a fresli vacancy at Walmer Castle. _\ Pitt lived theie a good deal, and so did the Duke of Wellington, whose truckle bed the chair on which he died, » dressing table of painted wood, the common bine ewer and basin which furnished forth its washstand, and two pairs of the lofty boots to which he lent an illustrious name, remain to this dav in the modes'' -"™ he chose for his own.

.. Lord Oranyilfe 'was never so.' "happy as when lie wiik 'sit;" Walmer f Castle. ;•'" Mprethan any earlier, tenant, he adcled, to its' homely"'comfort: / The record of his labour of love is chiselled in Xatm.oyer one.'of the gateways/ Being it proclaims that" "George .GranviUe, Earl Granville,: Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, enlarged' this castle, and dedicated-it to ; his successors." ' T was' to ■ he his guest during "his Lord Wardenship, and, with dulled sensibilities shared his keen pleasure, telescope in hand, deciphering the signals' of-ships going'to ahdfrqin the downs, that on"■ summer days, stretch, a smooth, surface castle,- a shining lawn of measureless'distancft.. Of hie-; many triumphs in 'the diplomatic world and in social life,' i'"don't"think any gave more pleasure- than discovering from Lloyd's reports on the following morning that he had'; correctly Mead' the' riddle of a passing ships signal,disclosing her name arid destination.

Lord Dufferin was still Ambassador at. Paris when We fresh honour tif the Lord Wardenship was conferred upon, h|m. He regarded Walmer CaStle. as -a sort of pleai sant half-way house -between .Paris l and London. But he swas an infrequent srijourner, arid did not long hold the office. To tell the truth, he' found it involved considerable . expenditure.' " PLACE OF PROFIT."—SEQUEL. _ ( Tiine was M«n it. was a, place of profit. Pitt, as Lord Warden 61 trie unique xoris, riad a salary of. ±J4OOQ a year charged in the Civil -List.' ,There.was .a.pleasirigsort of postcript in the way of an additional ±;2B0 a year, by ingenious - ; manipulairion iamiliar in those good old tini<6 charged upon the Army (Vote. It is true the Lord Warden had to pay the wages ot a sxart ol oliicers and assistants. But the, net receipt."? were a clear £3,000 a. year,.'-a sum which in the early days of the eighteenth centtiry was a substantial income. In addition to this fixed salary there were picings in' the way of lost anchors," '■ stray caoles, stranded wrecks, and other jetsam pertaining; to the ancient office. _ Hereby hangs a tale, that recalls a Parliamentary' incident familiar to' old Members. On the afternoon of the day "Old Morality" has been gazetted to the office of Lord Warden he entered the House us. usual, contributing his genial presence-to the Treasury Bench. He: had not been seated" many minutes, when on a sigmd from the Chair, he approached and held brief colloquy with the' Speaker. Across the waste of years the recollection of the frightened look that mantled his honest countenance as the Speaker bent over the elbow of his chair and whispered in his, ear. He did not return to the seat of Leader of the House; hastily- making his way out behind the Speaker's :chair, being seen no more for nearly a fortnight. It was subsequently made 'known that the Speaker had warned him that he; was no longer a member of the House of Commons, and therefore ■ had no right of entry. Though the salary attached to the office of Lord' Warden long ago lapsed, it was still/ by reason of tto tribute of rusty

anchors and frayed: cordage, a -place of s profit under the Grown. By. accepting it, t Mr ■ Smith had, in accordance with the i statutes " ipso facto" vacated his seat. Jr, i was therefore necessary that ho ■ should secure re-election before continuing, his ' honoured functions as a Member of Parliament. MATTER-OF-FACT "PAM." Lord Palmerston,. more wary or better advised, averted a, similar dilemma. He explained the situation in the course, of a speech at a banquet given at Dover to celebrate his installation as Lord Warden. " Although the salary has disappeared, he | said, " there are in the Patent, as those who heard it read this morning will remember certain words about flotsam and jetsam which imply possibility of profit. Consequently acceptance of the office necessarily vacated my seat in the House of Commons." There was no sentiment about Pam. He liked Walmer Castle as being a rent-free seaside residence, offering pleasant- alternation from his country; seat at Bi'oadlands. But in the absence of fixed salary what, was an occasional anchor dragged from the reluctant deep, probably costing moro to dispose of as old iron thaji tlwv proceeds of the sale covered? .'.'On upon residence he, found presented to him, by the executors of hie predecessor, the Duke of Wellington, an account of charges for historical relics, memorials of the daily life of Pitt, and Wellington, which successive Lord Wardens were expected to take over at a valuation. Had they been . moderately ; cheap, estimate of their value based on ordinary , auction room .estimates, he would not have minded] But 'he was, not j going to give a fancy price for a chair ! becitnse Pitt, was accustomiedl to sit 'in. it, ' or buy a pair of boots much too large for him; • extravagantly priced , because Wellington had worn them. The precious heirlooms were accordingly withdrawn; from .the Castle and distributed: in various quartern * . • . Tt was plain William Henry Smith. sometime a tradesman in the Strand, to whom the OastJe and the country are indebted for sedulously hunting up !the dispersed relics, buying them at any price asked, restoring them to their former ; resting-place, and with theiii endowing futijre' Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports through, all time to come.