The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-14 00:00:00

DOVER HARBOUR.

DOVER, FRIDAY AFTERNOON.—His Grace the Duke
of Wellington, as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports,
presided here to-day, at the Harbour Sessions, held an-
nually before the Commissioners in this place.
The proceedings, which are generally of a mere routine
character, possessed unusual interest on this occasion,
from the fact that the extensive improvements which
have been in progress in the harbour (luting the past three
years have just been brought to a close. The opportu-
nity of the noble and gallant Lord Warden's visit was
chosen by the Commissioners to open, for the first time,
a very beautifully constructed swing-bridge, which has
been thrown across a portion of the newly-constructed
dock, for the purpose of affording a communication be-
tween the Esplanade, or Marine Parade, and the body of
the town. This intention, on the part of the Commis-
sioners, having become very generally known, the har-
bour and its vicinity presented an unusual scene of
activity this morning, and long before the arrival of the
Duke of Wellington, the Parade, in front of the Harbour-
house, formed a nucleus for the assemblage of a great
many of the leading inhabitants of Dover.
At half-past eleven o'clock the noble and illustrious
Duke's carriage was observed descending the Castle-hill
from the Wahner-road. His Grace took the left-hand
road after passing the castle, and, proceeding along the
back of Waterloo-crescent, arrived on the south side of
the new bridge at 25 minutes past twelve o'clock.
Sir Brook W. Bridges, Bart., Mr. W. Deedes, M.P.,
Mr. J. P. Plumptre, M.P., Mr. R. 11. Jenkinson, Mr.
W. 0. Hammond, the Mayor of Dover (Mr. W. Cock),
and other of the Commissioners, attended by Mr. James
Walker, civil engineer, and Mr. P. Hardwick, architect
to the board, were here in attendance to receive the
Noble and Gallant Duke, who, on reaching the bridge,
ordered his carriage to stop, and entered into conversa-
tion with the Commissioners for some moments. Mr.
Walker invited the Duke to alight and walk over the
bridge, but his Grace preferred crossing in his carriage.
The word having been given, the coachman gave his
horses the rein, and as their feet touched the iron
roadway a salute from the battery on the heights
greeted the Lord Warden's progress over the newly-
made channel. At the same moment the spectators,
who at this time had congregated in large.numbers near
the spot, welcomed his Grace with loud cheers, which
continued at intervals throughout his progress to the
Harbour-house, where he was received by a guard of
honour of the 43d Light Infantry, under the command
of Captain Coote.
• On alighting his Grace was joined by the following
members of the Court of Assistants:—Sir Brook W.
Bridges, Bart., Mr. W. Deedes, M.P., Mr. J. P.Plump-
tre, Mr. R. H. Jenkinson, Lieutenant-Governor of
Dover Castle, the Mayor of Dover, Mr. W. 0. Ham-
mond, and Mr. Thomas Papillon.
Mr. James Walker, who holds the office of engineer to
the commission, Mr. Hardwick, the architect to the
board, and Mr. G. W. Ledger, the secretary, were in
attendance.
After the transaction of the formal business before the
Commission, the following new members of the Court of
Assistants were appointed :—Captain D'Aeth, R.N. (of
Knowlton), in the room of the Earl of Guildford, re-
signed ; and Sir Edward Cholmeley Dering, in the room
of Mr. F. K. E. Morris, of Betsanger.
In the course of the morning a deputation, consisting
of several of the leading municipal authorities, waited on
the Court of Assistants, for the purpose of presenting a
memorial on the subject of a further improvement of the
harbour. The memorial, having been handed into the
Court, was read by Mr. Hardwick, the deputation mean-
while remaining in an ante-room.

The following is a copy of the document :
" To the ion, the Warden and Assistants of Dover
harbour,

•
" The memorial of the Mayor, Aldermen, and Bur-
gesses of the borough of Dover, in council assembled,—
" Showeth,—That your memorialists view with con-
siderable anxiety arid alarm the rapid improvements
made and making at the neighbouring ports of Ramsgate
and Folkestone for affording facilities for the embarka-
tion and disembarkation of passengers at all times of tide.
" That the staple trade of this important town has
from time immemorial: been the conveyance of the
mails and passengers to and from the Continent, and
has until lately been productive of great benefit to its in-
habitants.
" That its proximity to the Continent gives it advan-
tages superior to any port in the channel, but which
appear to your memorialists to be rapidly passing away
from it in consequence of the improvements of the ports
before alluded to.
" That it appears to your memorialists the only means
left for the restoration of the passage to and from Dover,
are the adoption of measures for rendering its harbour
at all times accessible to steam-vessels, and as the only
power to effect this appears to your memorialists to be
vested in your lion. B ,ard, they most earnestly implore
your Honourable Board to immediately adopt such im-
provements, alterations, cr additions to the present
works, either by the extension of the south pier, or
otherwise, as shall seem most suitable to the wants of
the passengers' traffic, and the uninterrupted expedition
of the pnblic mails ; and your memorialists venture to
suggest to your Honourable Board, that such improve-
ments would not only conduce to the prosperity of the
port in times-of peace, and to the security and increase
of the revenues of the harbour, but be of most essential
service in the event of war.
" Given under our common seal, this Bth day of No
vember, 1846.

"LEDGER, Town clerk."

The Lord Warden and Assistants having duly con-
sidered the memorial, invited the deputation to an
audience, when the following reply was read by the
secretary : ,
" The hoard having read the memorial of the corpo-
ration of Dover, on the importance of a low-water com-
munication from this port for the c( nveyance of
passengers and her Majesty's mails by means of the ex-
tension of the harbour works, or the erection of a low-
water pier in the bay, and having heard the statements
of a deputation from the corporation thereon, the board
inform the deputation that the means of this commission
do not enable them to continue the works requisite for
the above purpose ; but the board fully agree that the
statement in the memorial as to the importance of a low-
water pier for the interests of Dover, and the value of
the property of the Commissioners in Dover, as well as
for the national objects embraced in the memorial, and
particularly having reference to the relative positions of
Calais and Dover, and are therefore disposed to give
every facility in their power towards the promotion and
completion of the object."
presenting themselves
Mr. BIRMINGHAM (of the Ship Hotel), and other
theom m
is si
o n , deputation,u rge
do
the
prayer of the memo-
rials
with great ability and earnestness, but it is believed
mbemorbeert of e
C
that the reply of the Court to the same was quite as
favourable as was anticipated.
The deputation having retired, the Lord Warden, ac-
companied by the Court of Assistants, Mr. Walker, Mr.
Hardwick, and various other officials, left the Harbour-
house, for the purpose of inspecting the recently com-
pleted works, a brief sketch of which may be interesting
in this place.
The improvements were commenced in May, 1844.
They consist chiefly of an extension of the outer harbour
to the eastward, the additional surface of water thus
obtained covering upwards of four acres. To gain this
space, a vast quantity of houses standing on the Ord-
nance property, and nearly the whole of Union-street
(except Latham's Bank) have been pulled down. The
new dock walls rendered necessary by this extension
are built in a remarkably substantial manner and faced
with granite. On the eastern side of the new dock there
is a " slip," for the purpose of allowing carts to ap-
proach vessels lying in that portion of the harbour. A
beaching place is also provided in the new dock. The
next principal feature in the improvements is` a
new entrance to the "pent" or inner harbour.
This entrance opens from the new excavations,
and is nearly double the width of the old
northern gates, measuring nearly 66 feet wide,
and having three feet more water, thus admitting ves-
sels of a far larger burden than heretofore. It is pro-
vided with lock-gates, formed of massive cast-iron ribs,
with planks on each side to reader them buoyant.
Across this entrance, the swing-bridge, above alluded to
l is thrown. This work is a very beautiful specimen of
mechanical ingenuity, having a span of 60 feet, and a
! roadway 16 feet wide. It has been cast under the di-
rection of Messrs. Hunter and English, of Bow-creek,
Ifrom the design of Mr. Walker. The other works, in
brief, consist of a stone apron (technically so called),
which has been thrown up between Cheeseman's Head
and the south pier, for the purpose of protecting that
portion of the harbour ; the excavation of the "pent"
or inner harbour, to make it available for larger vessels ;
the removal of the pilot-house further west, and the
erection of a sea wall from the terminus of the railway
to the harbour ; the latter work having been undertaken
by the directors of the South-Eastern Railway Com-
pany, who are about to erect a new hotel immediately
adjoining the Pier-head. The whole of the works have
been executed under the direction of Mr. Walker, Mr.
James Cooper being the resident engineer, and Mr.
Bray, of Leeds, the contractor for executing the work.
The Duke of Wellington, on commencing his inspec-
tion, first proceeded along the mid-quay overlooking the
new basin. On reaching the swing-bridge, his Grace
minutely examined its construction, and expressed him-
self highly pleased with its general appearance and
utility. While the Noble and Gallant Duke stood on
one portion of the bridge, the other half was swung
round by, as it appeared to an ordinary observer, an
invisible agency. His Grace inquired what was the
power required to set the ponderous mass in motion;
and on being informed by Mr. Walker that one man
only was employed, and that he performed the duty with
great ease, he expressed his unqualified admiration of
the ingenuity the work displayed. Before the Lord
Warden left this portion of the works, it was suggested
by the Mayor , of Dever that the inhabitants would
esteem it an honour if the Noble and Gallant Duke
would allow the bridge to bo named after himself—
" The Wellington Bridge." The suggestion having
been communicated to his Grace by Mr. Hardwick, be
very good-humouredly replied, " Oh, by all means; I
can have no objection, if you will have it so. Let it be
called the Wellington Bridge." The party subsequently
walked over the whole of the new works, visiting, lastly,
the south-western portion of the harbour, where the
railway company's sea wall is in progress of erection.
His Grace inquired by whom this portion of the works
was being carried on; and Mr. Walker having informed
him that the directors of the South-Eastern Railway
were carrying it out, and that they intended to erect an
hotel near the spot, he expressed his approbation of the
liberality and enterprise of the company.
While going over the works Mr. Walker took occasion
to introduce to the Lord Warden Mr. Cooper, the resi-
dent engineer, and Mr. Bray, the contractor, both of
whom were complimented by his Grace.
While returning to the Herbour-house the Noble
Duke 1.1 t and luenelletelv recognised Si- John I fauul-
ton, formerly of the packet service, and who still
in-
variably attends the members of the Royal Family on
their passages to the continent. The Noble Duke walked
And =veiled with Sir Aim or Joie maluteo. •

The visit of inspection lasted until half-past three
o'clock, and after a short interview with the Court of
Assistants at the Harbour-house, the Noble and Gallant
Duke left for the railway terminus under a salute from
the heights. Mr. Hardwick accompanied the Noble
Duke to the station. His Grace left Dover by the ex-
press train at four o'clock, travelling in his own carriage.
Colonel Mercer, R.A., Colonel Forlong, K. 11., 43d
Regiment, and Lieut.-Colonel Tylden, R.E., were among
the officers present when the Duke arrived at the Har-
bour-house this morning. His Grace dismissed the
guard immediately upon his arrival.
This evening the Court of Assistants will dine together
at the Ship Hotel.