THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 453, 23 November 1880, Page 2

THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

(By Garnkt Wai.ch.)

Explanatory—Sus: Per: Coll:—The Cup —A Symphony.—King Casey.—Monro. —Marches aux flours-— Germans'.—An Apology.—True Wine.—- ---' False Wine.—A Biscuit.—-A Composition.—A Mistake.

I have to make a brief explanation. As many of the readers of the Akauoa Mail are doubtless already aware, I have furnished their favorite journal with threo letters under tho norn deplume of Gnetra. For reasons not of sufficient public interest to demand fully setting forth here, I have decided, with editorial permission, to commence an entirely fresh series, where- ~* in, stripped of the lion's skin, peacock's feathers, or what you will, of anonymity, I may figure in all my native worth, modesty and simplicity. The fact is, I have been taking tho matter over with Gaunson, and he says, " keep yourself to the front, no matter how, whether by ratting or ranting.ridiculing virtuoer defendkeep yourself to the front." I-lorest Iago! Talking about defending vice, I notice that Edward Kelly is to be hanged. lam sorry for this. He might have lived to « make a very fair member of Parliament. If the law would allow substitutes in cases of this kind, there is a certain Lynchnobian (vide Rabelais) whom I should like to see "■ offered up in Kelly's stead. Perhaps after all it is best that murderers should meet with the extreme penalty of tbe law, for as De Quincy says. '•If once a man indulges himself in "* murder, very soon ho comes to think little of robbing ; and from robbing he comes next to drinking, and* Sabbath breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastina. tion. Once begin upon this downward path, you never knew where you are to stop. Many a man has dated his ruin from. some murder or other, that perhaps he thought little of at the time." Melbourne is full, very full; except on race days, when it is empty, very empty. Rut between the great events, on tho most perfect race-course in the world, at -*"* Flemmington, Bourke-street, especially a night time, is sufficiently crowded to afford ample material for the student of human

■n.atnri- in -.'CMCnd. and the pickpocket of, -11... pe.i-.-l in p.rti-ular. As 'I never go 1.. rrv.---.-I mule one fit the V.M.C.A. ph> *nic on CnpDny You must not expect: •tt.-y aecnnnt of Tuesday's running from: me. although by the way, I might do as a literary friend of mine did last yeaT. He , •wrote the whole account of the Cap pro- J Tcedin-rs in his Melbourne office, adding -only (he names of tbe winners as they came to baud by telegram. Bnt then he

'is an artist. The Austrian band ore-gnining in jfiw*OT| with each concert. As was Teimfkeli -cff 'the gentlemen on the Stage, 'their -unani- ; •nilty is wonderful, in other word*, they 'l'»lay together lik" one man. and to my unind tbe chief beauties of their perform-; -anco is -that ihey do wit overdo (he •classical. Lord!! How. many an evening 'has been Tendered pet "eet purgttory 'to •me by reason of concertos in W uiinor. •nrpeggios'in the'key of V, and symphonies •'in ampersand. 1 feel-on these occasions •much as-did the -illustrious Goethe at a Court concert "in Weimar, when in the 'middle of a long sonrttn, he suddenly rose •with the exchuuntioii. if it lasts three ■minutcs'louger.'l shall corifesseverything. And now I suppose you think it high time that I should nay something about the 'Exhibition. Sol will, but mind you, Ido not intend to confine myself entirely to 'Exhibition matter.-*. To paraphrase the •proverbial Irishman, whenever X see an item I shall hit it off. They maytalk asthey like about pomposity ami officiousness, but it U really an iimpressive andHnstructive sight to see the Hon J. J. Casey going his rounds in the big building. Casiinfr aside an impulse ito imitate Theodore Hook, and .confront the great commissioner with the question " Beg pardon, sir, but are you anybody in ■particular ?" l l have watched the royal progress, on many occasions, with infinite satisfaction. As a lesson in deportment it •is invaluable. The Grecian bend, the 'Roman Fall, and the Russian Wriggle ihave hid their little day. The Casey Strut iis now rapidly coming *t« the fore. Next to Casey give me Monro. Physi•cally ho.is not so big a man, but morally the is hardly a step lower on the platform Mid bit df-umbrella practice on the sconce ■of that naughty Sergeant-t 1 other day was •grand in its way, but his arguments •against some of the pictures 'i n't'beTrench •Court are simply perfect. He Fays that 'nothing, save and except fie truth, should ■ever be exhibited >ci ploxns toilette \<le men ><le ■•tout, and has suggested kilts -cm-; 'broidered with the Southern Cross, and •and bearing'the motto pro pvdor a* approipriatc coverings for the oifen-Kng nymph*