OPENING OF THE COLONIAL & INDIAN EXHIBITION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3618, 6 May 1886, Page 3

OPENING OF THE COLONIAL & INDIAN EXHIBITION.

fBY Cißtß.) (Sfboial to the Press Association.) (Beceivod 7.45 p.m., May sth.) London, May 4. At the opening ceremony Her Majesty the Queen was very quietly dressed m black, and thirteen of her" children and grandchildren •were present. Her Majesty was immensely pleased at the reception accorded, and termed the exhibition a. magnificent ono. lv tho opening ode a passage occurred eulogisingthe federal idea. Her Majesty specially noticod the group of Hindoos and aboriginals m their several courts. Lord Augustus Loftus was not present, being confined to hia houso through indisposition.! The market and wine bars for tho salo of < colonial produco and wines aro o -great attraction, and the Adelaide fruit, which is being sold there, has realised good prices. Portraits of the Soudan contingent, and tiews of Sydney aro greatly admired. Sir P. 0. Owen, on behalf of tho Prince of Wales, specially thanked Messrs Bosisto and Thmupjon, Sir Samuel Dovenport, Mr Scott, Sir V. D. Bell, Dr Von Haast, Sir -Alexander Stuart, and Messrs Buuny and Garrick, as ardent workers. Several Royalties have privately visited the Exhibition. (By Telegraph,) ' Wellington, If ay 5. His Excellency I>aa this day received the following telegram from His Eoyal Uighnesß ' the Prince of Wales :— " In forwarding the ■proceedings of tho opening ceremony of tho Colonial nnd Indian Exhibition by Hor Majesty this day, I should be glad if you would publish them m a special issue of the .. GfanetU," ■ , Address nr His Eotai Highness, the Executiro President, to Her Miijesty the Queen, on the occasion of the open>Dg of tlio Exhibition." • May it please your Majesty,— An Executive President of the Bojal Comt mimionera appointed by jour Majesty's Boynl warrant of tho Bth November, 1884, for the promotion of an Exhibition of tho British, Colonial and Indian Empire, subsequently incorporated by Hor Majosty's Boyal Charter of 10th September, 1835 I humbly beg leave to lay before you a brief statement of our proceedings up to tho presont time. Tho goneral interest manifested m tho display made by your Majesty's Colonial and Indian Empire at tho Paris Exhibition of 1878 led mo, »3 President of the British Commission, to express a hope that an opportunity might soon occur by which your Majesty's subjects m England would bo enfibled to witness tho marvellous development which under your beneficient rule their brethren and fellow subjects had attained throughout so many portions of tho globe. It was, therefore, with the highest gratiflca.tion that I acccepted your Majesty's gracious invitation to assume the Executive Presidency of thu Commission, the appointment of which by your Majesty has been tho means .of making this hop* a reality. The invita4jops we wwe jmpowered by your Majesty to

issue to tho coloniul Governments and to tho Government of India were forwarded towards tho close of the year 1881 and from tho answers received it at once became apparent that this undertaking had obtained warm and hearty sympathy throughout your Mnjesty's dominion, of Canada, your Australasian; African, West Indian nnd Eastern colonies j m your Mediterranean possessions and elsewhoro. Grunts were voted, commissions formed and an executive nppointod ; tho work of preparation was undertaken with enthusiasm, and that it was attended with success is evident from tho . complete and varied collection which at . present fill the building through which your ', Mnjccty has just passed. Tho response re- | ceived from the Government of India was 5 also of tho most cordial character. His Ex- , cellency tho Viceroy caused throughout tho j revenue and agricultural department instructions to be issued to every district of your [ Majesty's Indian Empire for the collection of , objects illustrative of the art, manufactures and resources of that great realm. Thoso , collections which now adorn a largo section of , tho exhibition have been Bupplementod i by generous contributions from their Highnesses the Princes of India; by ■ a colllcction, tho formation of which wo , ourselves have authorised and by the contributions of privato nativo exhibitors, i Wo are desirous of bringing under your , Majesty's notico our deep appreciation of the hearty interest manifested by tho respective . Colonial Governments m tho exhibition, and , of taking this opportunity of stating how 3 groatly we aro indebted to the Commissioners j appointed by thisc Governments, and to tho j Exccutivo Commissioners, on whom tho auporintendancc of tho entire work of the installation has devolved. We f urthor desiro , to acknowledge tho valuablo assistance which . we havo received from your Mnjesty's y Viceroy, from the supremo Government of 5 India, "and from the various officials wbo have bo ably and thoroughly carried out their m,- , struclione. Our grateful thanks are also duo to , the colonial Governments, to the Government . of India, to tho Corporation of tho City of London, to many city companies nnd to the firms and individuals who have contributed i to the guarantee funds. Tho fncfc that tho i list of subscribers not only includes those whoso interests are likely to bo specially nfFected by tho exhibition, but also comprohend every class of tho community, supplies gratifying proof of tho universal sympathy nnd interest which this undertaking has aronsod. We venturo to avail ourselves of this opportunity to convoy to your Mnjesty our dutiful and loyal acknowledgment of tho interest which your Majesty has been pleased to take m our labours proved as it is by your Majesty's presenco here to-day, nor can I resist reference to a similar ceremonial preeided over by your Majesty a fow paces from this spot about 35 years ago. On that memorable occasion — the first of its kind — tho Prince Consort, my boloved and revered father, filled tho position which I, following m his footsteps, at howoyer great a distance now, havo tho honor and gratification of occupying. Your Mnjc3ty alone cun fully realise with what deep interest my beloved fathor would, had ho been spared, havo watched as their originator tho development of tho exhibitions both m this country and abroad, and with what especial pleasure ho would have remembered aa having for its object tho prosperity of your Majosty's empire, tho interests of which he had so much at heart. In the great exhibition of 1851 your Mageßty's , colonial and Indian possessions were indeed 1 represented, but tho importance was then but i little realised and their present groatness was • at that time unforeseen. During tho years that havo elapsed since 1851 far greater changes have been wrought than the marvellous development of the outlying portions of your Majesty's empire. It is our heartfelt prayer that an undertaking intended to illustrate and record this development may give n, stimulus to tho commercial interests and intercourse of all parts of your Majesty's dominion ; that it may be the means of augmenting that warm affection and brotherly sympathy which is reciprocated by all your Mnjes'y's subjects, and that it may still furtbor deepen that stendfast loyalty which we who dwell m tho Mother Country share with your kindred who have elsowhero a3 nobly dono honour to their name. Thb Queen's Spbech. I receive with tbo greatest satisfaction the address which you have presented to me on tho opening of this exhibition. I have obsorved with a warm and increasing interest the progress of your proceedings m tho execution of tho 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 — tho magnificent exhibition which has been gathered together hero today. lam deeply moved by your reference to the circumstances m which tho ceremony of 1851 took placo, and I heartily concur m tho belief you havo expressed that tho Prince Consort, my beloved husband, had lie been Bpared, would have witnessed with intense interest tho development of his idea, and would I may add have aeon with pleasure his son taking the load m the movement of which he was the originator, and I cordially concur with you m tho prayer that this undertaking may be tho means of imparting a stimulus to the comsieroial interest and intercourse of all parts of my dominions by encouraging tho arts of peace and industry and fry Btrpngthening tho bonds of union t which now exist m every portion of my 1 Empire Odb on the Opening op thb 'Exhibition. (By Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate.) Welcome, welcome with one voico. In your welfare we rejoice, Sons nnd brothers, who have «cnfc From Isle and capo and continent, Produce of your field and flood, Mount und mine and primal wood, Works of subtle braiu and hand ; Splendours of fcho morning land, Gifts from every British zono ; Britons hold your own. May we find as ages run, The mother featured m tho son, And may yours for over bo That old strength and constancy "Which has mode your mother great In our ancient island stato ; And whore'er her flag may fly, Glorying between sea and Bky, Makes thp might of Britain known : Britons hold your own. Britain fought her sons of yore, Britain failed ; and never more, i Careless of our growing kin, Shall we sin our fathers' sin. i Men that m a narrower day, Unprophetie rulers they — Drovo from out the mother's nest That young eagle of the west, To forage for herself alono : , Britona hold your own. ' Sharers of our glorious past, ' Brothers must we part at last ? 1 Shall not wo through cold and ill, Cleave to ono another still Britain's myriad voices call, ' Sons be welded each and all Into ono imperial whole j 1 Ono with Britain heart and soul j One life, ono flag, one fleet, one throno : Britons hold your own, and GOD GUARD ALL, H)8 Excellency has replied as follows : — His Royal Highnoss the Princo of WuK'3 London, 'i'he Governor and Government of New Zealand, on behalf of the colony, ucknowledgo with respectful thanks the receipt of your to'.ogram. They heartily congratulate your Royal Highness on tho opening of tho exhibition, tho success of which is so greatly owing to your gracious exertions. A special Gazelle will be issued forthwith. Ilia Excellency has forwarded to Her Majesty the Queon the following telegram : — " Her Majesty tho Queen, — Tho Governor and Government of New Zealand, on behalf of tho colony, most humbly tender to your Majesty their respectful thanks for the greut honor conferred on tho colonies by your Majesty's opening tho exhibition.