MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1921, 17 August 1888, Page 3

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

•- • ♦ (From our own Correspondent.) Siuoe I wrote last, the cne topic of general interest has of necessity been tho opening of the Exhibition, and I intend devoting my hebdomadal colamn tbie week to a resume of the proceedings. Io triumphs, Melbourne has been singing to a gay mne indeed, In whloh all and sundry joined in the graud ohoras No matter what the antecedents or what the penalty, certainly Melbourne haa never seen anon a day as that of Wednesday la-t— never opeued her arma to suoh a horde of atrangers, distinguished aid otherwise— .never displayed her richness, her greatness, and her wealth so royally — never known the tamult, the excitement, the emulation, and the display of WedneEday laat. The two great functions were the procession through the city, and afterwards the formal opening of the Exhibition. It was my duty to witness both. The former I viewed from the " Argus " office, a convenient sice for such i purpose, and then having a hansom in attendance, dashed out by the back way and round by Flinders-lane and Riohmond to avoid the crowd, arriving at the Exhibition building jußt a minute too soon to be shut out. From my poit in Oolllni-stree f , nothing bat ■ surging mass of people was visible up and do wo, cleft in twain as though by a thin ribbon, where the polioe kept the fairway clear for the prooesalon. .2 here must have been 20,000 people in OolllnnUreet alone, and they watted with exemplary patienoe from 10 o'olook t.U 12, when the prooesalon commenced to fila past. First * troop of the Mounted R fljß ; and then the Gubernatorial Party ; then more military ; then the fire brigades; then the trades muster ; then the temperance forces of the colony— et voila tout. The procession took a little over threequarters of an hour to pass the " Argos " offioe, but it must be understood that most of the military contingent was collected round and about the Exhibition building itself. As I dashed up the sight was really imposing. An immense crowd had assembled about the entrance and along tbe roadway — suoh a sea of people that it reminded me of a London orowd — the military, marines, »nd Bailors from the fleet were drawn up in military arrry^ and deafening cheers were being roared out by 10,000 voices bs the Government House party entered the building. Loudly then the trumpetß bray, Gaily bang the sounding basses ; As on its triumphal way, The regal prooession passes. Mr Lavater told me there were 30,000 people lnaide the Exhibition— and I believe him. I was just in time to see tbe Vice-Regal procession enter the Grand Hall, the National Anthem being rendered by the organ and full orchestra, und the colors being dipped. The Governor and his party then asoended the raised r&'s, the other notabilities forming tbe procession took their seats on the platform behind, and the proceedings opened. It was a br'lliant scene, and little as I care to be impressed by such empty displays, I could not holp feeling a glow of pride at the thought that all of it was but the outcome of our colony's growing greatness and importance. Every hole and corner, every avenue and gallery, tier above tier, was overflowing. From the Vice-Kegal <3il'. a, with lta ruby hanging? fringed with gold, up to the dome windows, was to be seen a varied masß of coloring. Near the Governor and scattered about the Hall was a hot-bed of military, naval, and olvii uniforms. Two batiks of female form?, with sashes of blue and cardinal, filled up the space in front of the organ — tbe ohorus 800 strong. The oroheßtra of 66 near by, with the suns' rays glinting their instruments — the detaohment of troops— the gay dresses of the ladies In the galleries, the parterre-like aspeot of the east and west nave and the northern transept, the mingling of blue, red, grey, scarlet, and gold, all helped to form a picture at once unique, impressive and pioturesque. Truth to tell though, tile ceremony itself was anything but entertaining. I was lucky enough to eeoape the long tedloua wait of two hours most of the spectators had to undergo, but despite that Ijwas terribly bored with the proceadlngo. The firßt glance round was pleasant enough, for as I have satd, the coup d' ceil was magnificent, but after I had had time to to take in all tho details, I found little else to do. It was wretchedly cold inside the building, and moßt of what took plaoa was quite inaudible. A long address was made by Sir James Moßalu and a reply made by Sir Henry, but what it was all about nobody knew exaotly until they read it next day in the " Argus " or u Age." The music and singing were welooined interpolations. The " Old Hundredth," which followed the National Anthem sounded to me both grand and solemn, glv3n with full power by organ tnd orchoatra, and Oowbu'b own composition, the "Song of Thanksgiving." written hpocially by him for tho inauguration, was beautifully and even touohingly rendered by tho chorus. Yes, the musioal part of tho programme was a treat, but the rest of it was not very entertaining, and by the time it was all over everybody was unutterably weary, oold, and hungry. I y&H sitting next to the editor of one of our dailies, perhaps the greatest literary gun in Melbourne, and I overheard his wife say to him, •• Oh 1 Isn't this lmpreEslve 1" '• Impressive !" he answered with, a grunt. "Oppressive, I call it." Pecamiam in loco negligere maximum est lucrnm— quoted one of the Exhibition commissioners to me, when I asked him after the show was all over — cui bono 1 •' To spend money freely on proper ocoaslona is the greatest gain," said he, ani it may be so for all I know. I hope .t will do the colony good. I think it will, for looking back, surely the blx we have already hi\d have done their part in the work of Viotorlan advancement. I would like to have seen the country, the provinces, taking a more active part In tho celebrations, for It seemed to me that moßt of those concerned were of the olty. However, that is nothing If good come* of It. It ought to glee us a bold and wide advertisement, (or a press friend reckoned out to me that detailed aooounts of the proceedings would appear in no leas than, eight hundred to one thousand newspapers throughout the world, I overbeard Lord Oarrlngton wittily desoribe the inhibition as "the world under a glass case," and it really 1b bo. Victoria has waved her wand, and every civilized nation has responded to the call and come forward with specimens of her wealth. Surely this should be a eouroe of pride to us, and help us on further by example. Satd Sir William Clarke to his caterer when ordering for the first of his Exhibit tlon gaieties last week, "Get the very best supper yon can spread for fourteen hundred, and I don't want to oee or hear from you until you send in the bill," and something similar to thla Melbmrne has been doing. We have been sparing no expense and reckoning np no cost — hoping, knowing the results will atone. So may It be— Bay all of us, and so amid prosperity and advancement and Increase, with good hope and fair Intareßt, with ovory inoentlve to suooeas and profit, the Me'bonrne Centennial Exhibition — the seventh of Its kind — Is launched on Its way to ran Its short journey of a few months.