The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-24 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF COMMONS_Last Evening.
THE DINNER TO LORD C. PAGET AT CHATHAM.
Lord C. PAGET rose to call attention to a personal
matter. On Friday, at four o'clock, he attended in his
place to address the house on the subject, but as the noble
lord (Lord R. Montagu), of whose representations he be-
lieved he had good reason to complain, was not in his place,
he was unable to complete his explanations. The noble
lord alleged that he (Lord C Paget), holding, as he did, an
important public appointment, had attended a dinner at
Chatham in order to induce the electors to return
his brother -in - law, Mr. Otway, at the next
election. He also said that he had gone to
Chatham, and returned by a special train, and that
he had charged the cost of it to the Government. The
fact was that in January last he was invited to dine with a
number cf distinguished naval and military Ado Irs, at a din-
ner given by the High Constable of Chatham, among whom
was his gallant friend (Sir F. Smith) one of the members of
the borough. He took a return ticket, and he found the din-
ner a very good one. (Hear, and laughter.) It fell to his
lot, as the senior naval officer present, to return thanks for
the navy, and ho remembered that iuthe course of his address
he expatiated on the fine condition of the fortress, and ex-
pressed a belief that the time would come when it would
become one of the finest naval arsenals in the world. (Hear.)
As the evening wore on this worthy and magnificent mayor,
Mr. Budden, intimated that a special train had been provided
for the gentlemen desirous of staying a little later than the
starting of the regular trains. He assured the house that
no politics were introduced at the dinner; it was the only
time he had visited Chatham, and he considered that his
conduct there in no way justified the aspersions cast upon
him by the noble lord. (Cheers.)
Lord R, MONT A.GU explained—He was glad the'noble
lord had introduced no rancour into the matter ; but at the
same time the noble lord had been guilty of considerable rash-
ness. The real question was—did or did not the noble lord
act in a constitutional manner. An unnecessar3 fuss had been
made about what he (Lord Montagu) had said. What could
it matter to the country about what was said in that
house by a member, who like him, had only sat three
years in it ? (Oh, oh.) The noble lord (Lord C. Paget)
had trotted over his allegations very lightly, like a man walk-
ing over sharp flints. (Laughter.) What he said was that
Lord Sidney had refused to appoint Mr. Budden to a
captaincy in the volunteers, on the ground that he kept a
canteen. He found by the report of the Times that he had
styled Mr. Budden a " costermonger," if so, that was a
lapses Unglue, as he did not mean to call him otherwise
than the keeper of a canteen.
The SPEAKER said the noble lord was travelling in
his explanation beyond the rules of the house in such
matters.

Lord It. MONTAGU would, in that case, move that the
house do now adjourn. The noble lord did not appear to
care whether he had acted legally or not. He did not say
that the noble lord had applied personally to the Lord-
Lieutenant to appoint Mr. Budden. He certainly said
that the noble lord did return by a special train, and ex-
pressed his curiosity as to how the cost would be paid, ask-
ing whether or not it was taken out of the civil contingen-
cies? But what he complained of was that he promised
the people of Chatham that their fortress should become
the largest naval arsenal in the world.
Lord C. I'AGET—No, no.
Sir F. SMITH spoke highly of the good character and
charity of Mr. Budden.
The matter then dropped, the motion being negatived
without a discussion.