THE PARIS EXHIBITION;

Otago Witness, Issue 956, 16 May 1889, Page 10

THE PARIS EXHIBITION;

. (Per Pbess Association.) < ' Paris, May 7. The exhibition is fairly advanced towards completion. The British court is more "attractive than those of other European countries. Sh* F. Dillon' Bell, in the absence of Sir Polydore De Keyser through illness, ' welcomed ' President Car•'not'in the British court, on behalf of the English Executive Commissioners. Sir Graham Berry, Sir Walter '. Buller, , Sir. O. E. N. Braddon, and othetf colonial ' ' delegates were ranged on the right harjd side of the court, and the British 'delegates on the left hand side. Sir Dillon Beir.'speaking in theFrenoh tongue, offered the French ''the 1 besttwishes .of England and an assurance of her sympathy in the undertaking. President Carnot, warmly , shaking hands with Sir ,Dillon Bell, eulogised the "splendid, display made by British exhibitors, and said he thanked' England ' and her colonies* most \ Bincerely for their exertions in the endeavour to make the exhibition a success. He also thanked the English and colonial delegates for 'the generous welcome they had given him to the British court. The Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph relates some amusing incidents in conhejetiori with the opening of the Paris Exhibition, in which several colonial delegates figured. The French police, in one case, thinking Sir Dillon Bell had no> right in the British court, ordered him to leave, and threatened to expel him, from the building. ' Sir Dillon defied the officers and dared them to ' touch him, and the police shortly discovering their mistake the' matter ended. Another colonial commissioner, who was surprised in the act of changing his kilt in a room attached jto the British section, yras ordered by the police to leave, on the ground that he was undressed. He refused arid cried for help, and was ultimately' rescued by some Englishmen who forced the police to retire. May 8. The attendance at the exhibition on' the opening day numbered a quarter of a million. ,The wool, timber, and mineral exhibits sent by Victoria and New Zealand make a very fine show, and the exhibits, of natural history collection and photographs are also ■much admired. Rowan's Australian flowers and the New Zealand Antimony Company's ore trophy are objects of much interest to visitors; ' • May 9. Australian wines form a prominent featureat the- exhibition. Mr Walker, of Victoria, gave a luncheon for the purpose of bringing . them specially under notice, and the purity and excellent quality of the vintages represented were greatly admired. Colonial wine is now in considerable demand. ■ The daily attendance at the exhibition ' averages 70,000. According to the New Yorkifierald, 125,000 Americans have booked passages for Paris. ' - i • • It is stated that colonial officials' are receiving very scant courtesy at the Exhibition. May 13.- - The visitors to the exhibition 'number 100,000 daily. • '