The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-08 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE LORD WARDEN
BOTEL, DOVER.

_ magnificent establishment, adjoining the railway
cumPany's station at Dover, was opened yesterday, when
the directors invited a number of their friends to cele-
brate the occasion by a banquet.
The hotel, which stands upon a commanding position
Close to the new pier, is built with the view of accom-
i? thedating continental travellers and families sojourning
town- The rooms are spacious and elegantly fur-
nished,„and everything appears to be done to promote
the Comfort of visitors. There are sitting rooms and bed
rooms
en suite on every floor, billiard rooms, saloons,
4411 coffee rooms, baths, and all the other appurtenances
of a first-class establishment. There are upwards of 80
sleeping apartments, and the building is calculated to
e)7e./iodate nearly 200. The charges, we understand,
...4 been fixed by the company, and are in every respect
tavilar to those of the Pavilion Hotel, at Folkestone.
At flee o'clock a very elegant entertainment was served
the coffee room, covers being laid for 140 guests.
411° chair was taken by Mr. James Macgregor, M.P.,
clan of the South-Eastern Railway Company, and
among the gentlemen present were—Mr. Rice, M.P.,
Waddington, M.P Mr. Whatman, M.P., Sir
James Duke M.P., Mr. A. Pellatt, M.P., Mr. Lee,
(IL." Sir J. Anderson, M.P., Mr. Renshaw (Deputy
Chairman of the Company), Colonel Whitty (Corn-
41anclant of the Castle), Sir Norton Knatchbull, Sir
40°11n Kirkland, the Mayor of Dover, the Mayor of
Canterbury, Mr. M. Young, Mr. Finnigan, &c., &c.
,3-r- Harker, from London, officiated with his usual
ability as toastmaster.
After the usual loyal and constitutional toasts had been
disposed of
et Ire every one The
said—l now propose you should drink in
solemn silence to the memory of a man for whom I am
and present has felt the deepest reverence
gratitude, and by whose will and permission this
hoo
ft atewas built—l speak of that illustrious hero, the
• t.,_—°rd Warden of the Cinque Ports, his Grace the
ih`"`e of Wellington. (Hear, hear.) It is one of those
s"'ldetits in my life which can never be forgotten by
tulle, that it was my good fortune to negotiate with that
n. stri°llB man, as the representative of the Wardens of
thin Putt, for a site for the elegant edifice in which we
„
lassembled, and to arrange with him the design for
R erection. But such a subject as the foundation of a
an°,llBe, though it is intended to provide a commodious
an. hospitable abode or resting-place f,r visitors from
nations is trivial, and sinks into total insignificance
:When we speak of the hero of a hundred fights,
..70 has conferred such great benefits on the country
Fieh has the honour to claim him as one of its sons.
roud, indeed, may the country be which gave birth to
Shur Duke of Wellington. (Cheers.) I believe if he
to, anY particular attachment to one locality it was this.
„n• The great duke loved Dover, not only from its
t.2zirnity to those places in which his fame was attained,
'it only because the compliment was paid to him of
nia • •
0 only
him Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports—an
ffice previously held by Lord Liverpool and Mr. Pitt,
rid other distiguished individuals—but because he was
°ved by the people of Dover, who appreciated his great
I,lnalities and his eminent services. (Cheers.) I there-
toc)reL ask you, with all due reverence, to do honour
his immortal fame. (Cheers.) Having had some
oTrespondence with the illustrious warrior on the subject
oh,railway management, I only give expression to an
"non which I seriously entertain, when I say there
4 not a railway manager in England who may not pro-
-1337 his suggestions upon those points to which his
attention was particularly directed. So great, indeed,
Zae his talent, that there was no subject so small which
e would not take u and deal with successfully—none
80 large which his cpolossal intellect could not grapple
With effectually. On all matters of importance he gave-
directions 'regions which none but a master-mind could impart.
gear, bear.)
Theiir company then drunk in solem!! silence to "The
Au.ernery of the late Illustrious Duke.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed "The Governor-
General of India, the present Lord Warden, and the
Assistant Wardens of Dover." He said—lt would ill
1)e.„ come me to ask you to drink the health of Lord Dal-
housie, a nobleman whom I may venture to speak of as
a friend, without passing some eulogium on his charac-
ter and conduct. It will be in the recollection of all
Present that he held a most important office in England,
that of the President of the Board of
were then Trade, and all
questions relating to railway extension
re-
ferred to him by the Legislature, and the reports which
be made have been referred to constantly, from 1844
and 1845 up to the present time, as containing the best
counsel which has ever been offered to the country on
that important su • bkct I regret that his enlightened
and comprehensive views were not carried out, for if
they had, I believe a great benefit would have been con-
ferred on the country. I hope, however, that the time
has now arrived for considering the subject of railway
extension in the spirit recommended by Lord Dalhousie,
and that Parliament will at length recognise the wisdom
of his recommendations. (Hear.) I have always looked
upon railway extension as a kind of philosopher's
Stone, and it is unfortunate that it has not
received the attention it deserves. (Hear, hear.)
speak with no disrespect of those hon. members who
ft,,,_nstituted the committees of the House of Commons.
When a subject so important and extensive was referred
t") numerous committees, not acting in conce"rt, why,
the
natural result was that they arrived at different
°Pinions. I thought it was only due to Lord Dalhousie,
4" that he is so great a distance from this country, to
Say these few words as to the services which be has
tendered in regard to railways, and to congratulate him
thou his brilliant career in India. While charged
the government of that vast territory he
met with no mischance. All he has done
been attended with success, and he has raised
ZlB character as the representative of agerneaet
:nriarch to the highest pitch of human excellence.
believe that his conduct has given entire satisfaction
the country, and I have no doubt, when he returns
enle, he will hold some of the most important offices
Ilthe State. (Hear.) Lord Dalhousie is a man in
1, °in the nation may well place confidence, for he is
1315 Partisan, and looks to the conscientious discharge of
(lutY as the polar star which should guide him in all
e Undertakes. (Cheers.)
s a' rile toast, with which was coupled the name of the
Yoe of Dover, one of the assistants, was drunk in a
outpr.
The MAYOR briefly returned thanks.
f• The CHAIRMAN gave the healthy of the two Members
11°1.11/ever, Mr. Rice, M.P. and Lord Chelsea, M.P.
°llOl Mr. Rice was of different politics to himself, he
must do him the justice to say that he was a most useful
member of Parliament. He (the chairman) had been a
member of the House of Commons but a short period,
ofilt,3he had seen enough to know that the fullest freedom
oo discussion prevailed there, and that every one had an
thirrtunity of rebutting arguments and condemning
!ties which he believed to be unsound or absurd.
Iv 'l3 (the chairman) advocated principles at variance
Ith the
politics of the Government, he gave them the
Zheat credit for having the good of the country at heart,
d for the sincerity of their opinions. He could not but
°admire the commanding abilities and convincing eloquence
to
th the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Nor could he fail
of eel the force of the powerful and effective speeches
la at prince of bottle-holders, Lord Palmerston. (A
4tt,,1111) Who, he should like to know, would attempt
such men as these in the house ? (Hear.) He
the not refrain from mentioning also Mr. Walpole,
and late Secretary for the Home Department, an able
spm.nlost accomplished man, who was universally re-
tlo.-"ed• It was impossible to sit and listen to the
efe individuals he had named without being most
byr-ebetlY convinced that what they said was dictated
Pretb-nelr,°wn consciences, and that they supported or
hes'"Bea nothing which they were not satisfied was
for the common weal. (Cheers.)
n
-he toast havi • g been responded to,
vr
▪ RICE returned thanks on behalf of himself and
11018oel.3unt Chelsea, who was absent. From what the
the",,,ehairman had said he was almost led to hope that
ej• lence of the Government benches had made an
‘013: --rn upon his mind. (Laughter.) As to the
lett; Which he represented in conjunction with his col-
thar,e,' he thought it must be apparent to every one
eau
e ""e fact of its being the great point of communi-
ng with the continent must always make it a place
°n' P°rtanee. Great improvements s ere now
the
going
"tro„, e harbour, and when they were completed it
beard be one of the finest harbours in the world. ,Hear,
given') He recollected perfectly well the festival which was
The itiocelebrate the opening of the South- Eastern line.
that et,auMan of the company at that period declared
eati,„_4e line would become the great link of communi-
eitn with the Continent, and that prophecy was re-
toe:Uand .k•with loud cheers, not only by our own country-
ut by many foreigners who graced the meeting,
the
Nr. Rice) was most anxious to be present at
4eoThr,,tnng of this hotel, because the fact of their as-
toola mg for such a purpose was the best tribute they
the the truth and justice of the observation of
'WI. airnlan made on the occasion to which he referred.
Dyer 11 his recollection of Dover, a boat used to cross
t° Ca • -
lam, in which six unfortunate
t passengers were
etibbed
loo,e eabined, and confined," and which occupied
tiger Period in the passage across the channel than
nridge tow suffice to bring the traveller from London-
Zlrne vs:___Paris- He had no doubt the time would yet
Easter excursionists nacursionists would take tickets at the South-
'hat Railway station to frank them to Pekin, and
'With~°e should see numbers of small-eyed men in Dover
sir isr-Cheek bones and long tails. (Laughter.)
the
_._?vrorf KNATcHnIILL proposed " Prosperity to
Eastern °LI, Warden Hotel and its Proprietors, the So-uth-
hopethatilatilway Company," and expressed a confident
sperit tukey might look forward to the ulti t
bead If the un ertakmg, or they possessed at the
d • fma pro-
xperie2_ a gentleman not only of great ability and
carry 4.4%3, but one who had a strong determination to
be erf I.°__aenccessful issue whatever he deemed would
'hen „74 11t to the company. He recollected the time
1110atco".." Wardens of the Cinque Ports invited the late
and thous Duke of Wellington to an entertainment,
tordilk he (Sir N. Knatchbull) could not now say,
44,040)11311gham did on that occasion, that they were
do honour to a great man, still he did