DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8638, 26 November 1889, Page 2

DUNEDIN EXHIBITION.

OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR.

HIS EXCELLENCY'S SPEECH.

THIS DAY, Dunrdix, November 26. — Tho Exhibition was opened to-day by His Excellency the Governor. The city wore quite a gala appearance. After the Governor had ascended the dais in the Exhibition Building, Mr John Roberts, addressing His Excellency, said the Commissioners desired to accord to him the heartest welcome, and convey an expression of devoted loyalty to Her Majesty's Crown and person. He then proceeded to detail the steps which led to the opening of the Exhibition, and mentioned that the project was first put before the public at a meeting on October 25th last year. It -was warmly taken up, with the result that 10,600 gentlemen subscribed £15,809, besides which the Government granted a subsidy of £10,000 for the purpose of providing collections of a public character, which could not be exhibited by private individuals. Tho appeal to self reliance and the patriotism of people, the Commissioners claimed had produced an amount of popular interest and voluntary effort, which had never been seen in any previous enterprise of the kind, He thanked His Excelleny for the interest he had shown in the undertaking, and especially for the influence Lord Onslow had exerted in the Fine Art Department, and similar recognition was extended to the members of the Government and exhibitors. The building covered over 12 acres, the main structure being 1162 feet long and 465 feet broad. The committee was officially represented by New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Mauritius. Fiji, and the Republic of Costa Rica. Mr Roberts then presented the Governor with a copy of the official catalogue, and requested him to declare the Exhibition open. His Excellency, in reply, assured them of the satisfaction with which he received the expression of loyalty, which he said it would be his pleasing duty to convey to Her Majesty. He remarked that an extraordinary contrast was presented by the condition of the Islands now and fifty years ago, when they were just emerging from barbarism — when the founding of Auckland was just begun; when Christchurch and Dunedin were still undreamt of, and Wellington had merely been thought of in London. His Excellency drew a graphic picture of the state of the country in 1839 — of its great forests and vast solitude — and went on to picture the change that had been wrought in its appearance by reclamation, tillage, railways and steamboats. Whereas fifty years ago Europeans who inhabited New Zealand lived only by the forbearance of the Maoris, now equal laws existed for both natives and Europeans alike. The representatives of the ancient inhabitants voted side by side with themselves, and were on this occasion able to use their power to such purpose as to assist progress and parliamentary business. Such growth as that he considered warranted their endeavors to call the attention of other nations of the world to the capabilities of the soil and mines, and to demonstrate to an advancement of which they were capable. He congratulated them all on the success which has attended their voluntary efforts and personal exertions, and remarked that a dobt of gratitude was owing to those who had so generously lent for exhibition their treasures of industry and art. He joined with the President in expressing a hope that the gathering might be instructive and beneficial aud dispel jealousies ; rival enterprise might cogender and enable us to cultivate friondly sentiments and mutual esteem. His Excellency then formally declared the Exhibition open.