The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-14 00:00:00

Although the Exhibition was opened yesterday for
public admission the arrangement of the contents is still
far from being completed, notwithstanding that great
exertions have been made for the purpose, and that con-
siderable progress may be observed almost every hour.
The fine arts gallery, from which the temporary fittings
have been removed, is as yet the great centre of attrac-
tion.

THE INAUGURAL BANQUET.
A grand banquet took place on Thursday evening at
Cork, to celebrate the opening of the National Exhibi-
tion. The dinner came off in the grounds attached to
the Exhibition Buldings, within which a spacious pa-
vilion was elegantly fitted up for the purpose. Seven
o'clock was the hour appointed for assembling, and when
at that hour the guests began to arrive, the whole po-
pulation of Cork turned out to receive them. Covers
were laid for 600, and at the appointed hour every seat
was occupied by a guest. Shortly before eight o'clock
his Excellency entered the Banqueting Hall, attended
by a brilliant staff and numerous retinue, composed of
the nobility and principal personages of distinction who
had visited the fair capital of the south upon this auspi-
cious occasion.

The LORD-LIEUTENANT, on returning thanks for the
toast of his health, thus expressed himself :—lt is true
that we have not here the statues of Italy, the carving of
Austria, the malachites of Russia, the porcelain of Sevres,
or the velvets of Genoa, but we have what you and I
value far more, the products of our own country.—
(Loud cheers.) We have the marbles of Cork, of Kil-
kenny, and of Connemara.—(Hear, hear.) We have
our linens, we have our tabbinet, we have our lace em-
broidery, we have the results of the industry of the sons,
and the handiwork of the fair daughters of Erin.—
(Cheers.) But allowed me to ask what is there
that the genius of Ireland cannot accomplish, whe-
ther it be the highest efforts of human ambition,
or the humblest essay of talent ? Does not Irish
blood flow in the veins of the mightiest conqueror
of the widest empire which the work has ever
seen?—(Cheers.) Does not the blood of Ireland flow
in the veins of him whose career of glory not one de-
feat, not one selfish act, has tarnished?—(Cheers.) Does
not the capacious mind of Wellesley spring from an Irish
stock?—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) Was it not Irish
genius which shone in the calm and lustrous eye of Can-
ning, which sparkled in the wit of Sheridan, gave com-
mand to Burke, lent point to the irony; of Tierney, and
taught Goldsmith to write of nature—(Cheers)—which
enabled your own Moore—(Renewed cheers)—to
breathe forth words of beauty, words of fragrance
as sweet as your own harp, but nervous as the arm
by which it is struck ?—(Loud cheers.) And to
come to your own county, or even to your own city,
was it not the genius of Cork which made Curran what
he was ?—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and cheers.) I
would ask you does modern art own a better or a more
worthy votary than Maclise?—(Cheers.) Allow me
also to pay a passing tribute of admiration to the
nameless thousands who have contributed so efficiently
to the show we have inaugurated this day. Gentle-
men, it is not by strife and party contention—it is not
by religious or political dissension—it is not by out-
rage and murder that the regeneration of Ireland
is to be accomplished.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and
cheers.) It is because of all this that misfortunes
have come upon her—that so many of her sons have had
to Feek a refuge on other shores—that so many of her
houses are untenanted—that so much of her rich