THE IRISH EXHIBITION OF 1864.

Colonist, Volume VII, Issue 661, 26 February 1864, Page 3

THE IRISH EXHIBITION OF 1864.

(Abridged from the Irish Farmers' Gazette ) Thb p op.,sed exhibition ot liiali manufactures and of English and foreign machinery suited to manufacture.-, wliicli the R..ynl Dublin Society nas decided to hold iiumi ilieir p finises next year, we are. glad to sue is proteasing fnvo ably, mid off-re to be one of the must successlul as well as piactically useful ever held in the countiy. Wo have not hitherto taken any part in calling the attention of our readers to it ; but we have, nevertheless, watched with interest the steps that have been taken to bring it hi fore the public. Our contemporaries have recorded the visits made by the deputation, consisting, chiefly, of Mr. Andieiv H. Bagot, the chairman, and Mr. John A. Walker, the honorary secretury of the Exhibition, who have been deputed by the committee appointed by the Royal Dublin Society to visit the principal towns iv Ireland, and to lay before the inhabitants the important objects contemplated by the promoters of the proposed national exposition of Irish industry ; and we have noticed that they have discharged their onerous duties with great intelligence and ability. In Belfast they held a public meeting, presided over by the Marquis of Downshire, the result of which has been that an able and efficient committee was established, by whose exertions, we are given to understand, the linen trade of the north will be represented in Dublin next year in a nvtnuer never before seen iv any of our exhibitions in this country. The success «iiich baa of late years attended the staple trade of Ulster, and the demand which has sprung up for our great national manufacture, have induced' die production of much larger varieties of linen fabrics than were formerly required, so much so that the merchants of England are the best customers our northern fiiends have for an article which they call a cotton substitute, and which has been found to answer the purpose of grey calico woudrously well.

We think the promoters of the exhibition have acted wisely in confining the manufactures to Irish, because we are fully aware that many of our native manufactures were never properly represented iv previous exhibitions, and the reason assigned is, that they were subject to unfair competition. English articles were exhibited as Irish, and the Irish, with a less slight appearance, perhaps, but with far greater intrinsic value, were passed over. But in the exhibition of next year to quote the words of Mr. Walker, " Irish frieze made in Dewsbury, and G.ilway flinntU made in Lancashire, will not he flowed lo compete with the genuine article made at home." It will be a genuine exposition of Irish industry, and we doubt not but many of our readers will be surprised when they witness how great a vaiiety of goods are eveu now made in this country. The addition of a machinery department to the exhibition will beau interesting and uselulfeaure because much of it, we understand, willbein morion; so that manufacturers will have the opportunity of seeing machines suited to their products at work. _ We have likewise t.een k-.i to understand it is intended to add a Gallery of Fine Arts to the exhibition, aud we are of opinion this is very important and very essential to the success of the undertaking. Music, of course, will be provided, and if the exhibition be kept open in the evenings we do not hesitate to predict for it a great and successful career.