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still remained. The ports had also certain courts which 
existed for the purpose of deciding matters connected with 
the confederation as a whole, and Romney Marsh was a 
place where the port representatives used to meet. As 
time went on these open-air assemblies came to an end, and 
the ancient Church of St. James came to be the meeting 
place. Besides having these courts, these ports, in consideration 
for providing and manning ships, were free from all national 
taxation. The most interesting and picturesque of their 
rights was that the barons of the court had the right of carrying 
a canopy over the kings and queens of England as they 
walked in state procession from Westminster Hall to the 
Abbey. At the double coronation of William and Mary as 
joint sovereigns, they had to walk side by side to the Abbey 
instead of one behind the other, so that the canopy had to 
be a very large one. At the time of the coronation of George 
IV., before the procession was formed, the barons had a practice 
with the canopy, but their rnancei res were so awkward and 
dangerous that the king absolutely refused to walk underneath 
the canopy, but walked in front of it — an absurd spectacle. 
Perhaps it would have been an advantage if that canopy 
had come down on the head of the “ first gentleman of Europe.” 
(Laughter). At the time of William IV., these nice things 
were done away on the ground of economy. The same 
precedent was followed at the coronation of Queen Victoria ; 
but for the coronation of the present king, Edward VII., 
the barons sent in their claim. If there had been a canopy, 
they would have been refused, but, without a canopy the}? 
were placed just outside the choir screen and they were 
entrusted with the standard of England and the Union Jack, 
which were duly dipped as King Edward passed, and were 
acknowledged by the sovereign in a suitable fashion. 
Another privilege the ports had was to seize flotsam and 
jetsam or whatever of value was cast ashore on the sea from 
wrecks, and the right of assembling in portmote or Parlia- 
ment. The Parliament was empowered to make bye-laws 
for the Cinque Ports. There were two courts, the Court of 
Brotherhood, and Gustling, and the highest office in con- 
nection with the Cinque Ports was that of Lord Warden, 
who also acted as governour of Dover Castle and had a mari- 
time jurisdiction as admiral of the ports. His power was 
formerly of great extent, and he held a Court of Chancery 
at Dover in the old Parish Church of St. James. It was 
mainly due to the ships that came from the Kentish ports 
that Hubert de Burgh was able to scatter the French fleet 
in the battle off South Foreland (1217). During the reign 
