OPENING OF THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 2 October 1880, Page 2

OPENING OF THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION.

(by cable.)

(keuter's telegram per press ASSOCIATION) Melbourne, October 1.

The International Exhibition in Carlton Gardens was opened to-day with great ceremony. The day was proclaimed a public holiday in honor of the. event, and it was strictly observed as such, all placed of business being closed.: The weather was fine, but somewhat olaudy and windy. At an early hour the various associations and trades, 4 societies, numbering several thousands., formed in procession, and traversed Russell, Bourke, Spring, Flinders, Elizabeth, and Collins-streets, the head halting at the Bourke and Wills monument. The , Fire Brigades rendezvoused in Flinders-Street, and there awaited the Vice-Regal party, which left Government House at twenty minutes past ten, under a Vice-Regal salute. The party comprised hia Excellency • the i Governor (the Marquis of Normanby) and I the Marclnaness of Normanby, the Duke | of Manchester, Lord Augustus and Lady Loftiis, Sir William ancl Lady Jervois and the Misses Jervois, Sir William Robinson (Governor of Western Australia) and Lady Robinson, Sir Francis Smith (Acting-Governor of Tasmania) and Lady Smith, Commodore Wilson, and their suites, The cortege consisted in. all of twelve well-appointed carriages. The military and naval forces, consisting of 500 British and, 300 foreign blue jackets, and the provincial ana metropolitan; volunteers, had previously assembled, the former taking a position at the south face of the Exhibition, and the latter preceding the party from Government House , aa,d forming in Rathbon© and Nicholson streets.' The trader societies' formed- in 1 double line.at the intersection of Collins and Elizabeth streets, the carriages passi ing through the line, and the trades then following the procession. 1 The streets wera lined with thousands of the public, and great' enthusiasm was displayed. On, the approach of the procession to tlie, building the bands of the societies played the National Anthem, and when the,procession had entered the grounds, it took up a position in the main avenue. The ■Vice-Regal party entered the south door at 11 o'clock, The President of the Commission, the Imperial Comnlisioners, the Ministers, and the Vice-Presidents, and Members of the Executive Commission, received the party, and conducted them to a handsome dais erected under- the central dome. The National Anthem was then sung by a quartette and chorus and with organ accompaniment. Three cheers WQrg given for the Queen and Prince oit Wales, and for the Governor and Lady Normanby, and the party then took their seats on the dais. There were a number of distinguished visitors, the various foreign consuls, general consuls, and vice-consuls, Ministers, members of both Houses of Parliament, the Bishop of Melbourne,_ p,nd the Judges and other public ftuietionariea. A apeoial inaugural cantata, composed byi M. Caron, was then performed. It lasted an hour and was a gyeat success. There were 1000 performers, the principal being the Simonsens, Mrs. Gutter, Beaumont, and Yers«. The chorus was excellent, The ladies wore white dresses with blue sashes on the and red sashes on the left side of the orchestra. At the conclusion of the cantata thei'e was immense applauae, the Governor leading, M< Caron,-the composer.and leader of the orohestra, was then presented* to his Excellency and congratulated. . The cantata finished, the President, the Hon. W. J. Clarke, and. the VicePresident of the Commission, then ascended the daia, sfee former read an address to the C&oVeraar, It detailed the history of the formation of the Exhibition, a,nd said that in response to invitations they bad received large representations froni Great Britain, foreign countries, and the colonies, and concluded by acknowledging their valuable assistance and co-operation. . Lord Normanby, in reply, said the undertaking waa creditable to the Victorian Commissioners, to the Executive, and to Parliament. Any fears of imperfect responses to the Cofnmission's invitations to foreign countries were soon dispelled. The display of industry and art in the building any country might be proud of, svad the foresight, energy, and | ability with which the details had been carried out, reflected the highest credit <jn the' community. The Imperial Government ha& promptly co-operated, as also" foreign countries, and the colonies, and it was now an assured fact that the present Exhibition would rank equal to its predecessors as a satisfactory exponent of the World's industries. It was liis' pleasing duty to convey to the .Governments of foreign countries and cthe i his feelings of obligation'at ,ths satisfaction which the opening address of the Commissioners expressed, His Excellency concluded by .declaring, the Exhibition opened in the name, of Her Majesty the Queen, " The Union Jack was then hoisted above the building, and salutes were simultaneously fired by the men-of-war in harbor hand the batteries on shore. The Hallelujah Chorus was swng by the choir, ! the machinery aet in .motion, and the fountains commenced to play. ' After the chorus waa sung, the ViceRegal party left the dais and proceeded to the various oourfcs where the representative Commissioners were presented to his Exoellency the Governor. Meanwhile the French, .Germanj Austrian] Italian, Russian, American, and Belgian -National Anthems were played by. the orchestra, and at their- conclusion the' march from " The Prophet" was performed. I The Vice-Regal party, on jfeaehing the New Zealand' Court, wsrs received by the Commissioners. Hector and Mr.. B-lack-. wood, a,nd thej Secretary, Mr, Callis., Dr, Hector presented Ijord Normanby with a handsomely-bound copy of thq New Zealand exhibits, wftich wa? publisjiecl to-day, and with a copy, tfee .hand-book containing .iegavding the pro-

duots, progfce&a, and' statistic* o f-,a colony; and although thin Wad hfa Jjviiji o lency's firstofflfeial visit, it wds ilotth->« time he had visited the Odiitt, for h e h ddne so on several ofidftAions, and h shown that he still retains a livelv terest in the doings of the colony, t'u" Court presents a pleasing and attrooti appearance, although several details still imperfect. The entries oomprig 0 iy>? exhibits, which is greater than at th Sydney Exhibition, while the Bn allotted there to New Zealand was ° half more than at Melbourne, where t^ 6 " are x only 8000 feet. The Commissioner* have had consider Able trbuhi to find space for all the exhibits, but ha happily surmounted the difficulties notwithstanding that the Court is crowd if every exhibit is displayed to the be t advantage. The following is an abstract of the • classifications of the exhibits • Art, 74 ; educational apparatus and the liberal arts, 93; furniture 6& > textiles, 32 ; rope manufactures,' 57! machinery processes and mechanical in' dustries, 63 ; alimentary. 134 ; hortioui tural, 31; mining, 21.

On the return of the Vice-regal part to the dais, the Governor despatched telegram, to the Queen announcing th 3 opening of the Exhibition in her On departing, his Excellency inspeoWJ the procession of the trades and othe bodies, and the united bands played th National Anthem, and another salute waa fired on the.departure, of the Vice-R ogtt ]| party from the Exhibition grounds, whole proceedings passed off with immense eclat There was a very large attendant of the public, and the scene at the open, ing ceremony was most brilliant and inu pressive. Most of the courts are in a forworj state, although many are still incomplete, The display promises to be most ex. cellent, especially in the exhibits of the ;fine arts. Amongst the * distinguished visitors from other colonies are Sir John Hay-, President of the New South Wales Legislative Council; Sir Alien Speaker of the Assembly; and manvr 1 others..

Tho proposed pic-nic by the British hibitors has fallen through, as many 0 f the leading representatives of JSngtish. houses discountenanced the idea. The weather has been threatening all day,. The various English and foreign men-uf-. war now in harbor will be illuminated tonight.