Opening of tbe Exhibition.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1702, 7 May 1886, Page 2

Opening of tbe Exhibition.

(ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. — COPYRIGHT,) (SPECIAL TO UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) London, May 4. Several Royal persons have privately visited the Exhibition. At the opeumg ceremony Her Majesty the Quoeu was veiy quietly dressed tin black, and thirteen of hot children and grandchildren were present. Her Majesty was immensely pleased at tho reception accorded, and termed the Exhibition a magnificent one. In the opening ode a passage occurred eulogising the Federal idea. Her Majesty specially noticed the groops of Hindoos and aborigine! m their several courts. Lord Augustus Lciftus was not present, being confined to his house through indisposition. The market and wine bars foi the sale of Colonial produce and wines are a great attraction, and Adelaide fruit which is being sold hen>, has realised good prices. Portraits of the Soudan contingent and views of Sydney are greatly admired. Sir P. C. Owen, on behalf of the Prince of Wales, specially thauked Messrs Bosisto and Thompson, Sir Samuel Deveu port, Mr Scott, Sir F. D. Bell, Dr Von Haast, Sir" Alex Stewart, and . Messrs Bunny and Garrick, as ardent workers.

"Odi "On the opening of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition by Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate : — Welcome, welcome with one voice 1 In your welfare we rejoice. Sons and brothers that have sent, From isle and cape and continent, Produce of your lield and flood, Mount and wine and primal wood ; Works of subtle brain and hand, Splendours of the morning land : Gifts from every British zone. Britous, hold your own I May we find, as age 3 run, The mother featured In the son ; ' And may yours Tor ever be That old strength and constancy Which has made your mother great In our ancient Island .State ; And wherever her flag may fly, G'orying between sea 4nd sky, Makes the might of Britain- known. Britons, hold your own I Britain fought her sons of yore. Britain tailed, and never more, Careless of our growing kin, Shall we sin pur father's sin. ; , .' Men that m a narrower day— Unproplietic rulers they— Drove from out the mother's nest That young eagle of the West, ■ To forage for herself alone. Britons, hold your own 1 Sharers of our glorious past. Brothers, must we part at last ? Shall not we, through cold and ill, Cleave to one another still? Britain's myriad voices call, Sons, be welded each and all Into one Imperial whole ; One with Britain heart and soul. Oue life, one flag, one fleet, one throne. Britons hold your own, Ar.d God jruard all 1

From the address by His Royal Highness the Executive President to Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of the opening of the Exhibition, we make the following extracts : — We venture to avail ourselves of this opportunity to convey to your Majesty our dutiful and loyal acknowledgment of the interest which your Majesty hag been pleased to take m our labors, proved as it is by your Majesty's presence here to-day. Nor can I resist a reference to a similar ceremonial presided over - : by your Majesty a few paces from this, about thirty-five years ago. On that memorable occasion, the first of its kind, the Prince Consort, ray beloved and reverend father, filled the position which I, following m his footsteps,' 3 at however great a distance, now have the honor and gratification of occupying. Your Majesty alone can fully realise with what deep interest tny beloved father would, had ha been spared, have watched, as their originator, the development of the Exhibitions both m the country and abroad, and with what special pleasure he would have rejoiced, as having for its object the prosperity of Your Majesty's Empire, the interests of which he had so much at heart. In the Great Exhibition of 1851 your Majesty's Colonial and Indian possessions were indeed represented, but their importance was then hut little realised, and thoir present greatness was at that time unforeseen. During the years that have lapsed since 185 1 fewer greater changes have been wrought than the marvellous development) «f the outlying portions of your Majesty's Empire. It is our heart-felt, prayer that an undertaking intended to i/lustrai* and to record this development may give a stimulus to the commercial interests and intercourse of all parts of your Majesty's dominions ; that it may be the i means of augmenting that warn affection and brotherly sympathy which is .reciprocated by all your Majesty's subjects ; and that it may still further deepen that steadfast loyalty which we who dwell m the Mother Country share with your kindred, who have elsewhere so nobly done honor, to her name. ''THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.

'• I receive with the greatest satisfaction the address which yon have presented to me on the opening of this Exhibition. I have observed with a warm and increasing interest the progress of your proceedings m tbe execution of the duties entrusted to you by the Royal Commission ; and it affords -me sincere gratification 'to witness the successful result of your judicious and unremitting exertions— tbe magnificent Exhibition which has been gathered together here to day. lam deeply moved by your reference to the circumstance m which tho ceremony of 1851 took place, and I heartily concur m the belief you have expressed, that the Prince Consort, my beloved husband, had he ■ beon spared, would have witnessed with intense interest the dovelopmeut of his ideas, and'would, I may add, have aeon wit|i pleasure our son taking the lead m the movement of which he was the originator ; and I cordially concur with you m the prayer that this undertaking may be the means of imparting a stimulus to the commercial interest And intercourse of all parts of my dominions by encouraging tho arts of peace and industry, and by strengthening the bonds of union which now exist m every portion of my Empire.