The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

DUBLIN BEFORE THE OPENING.

On entering the metropolis, signs of the approaching
event were everywhere visible. Under the direction of
the authorities the bronze statue of William 111., in front
of the Bank of Ireland, was being newly painted. Small
tavern-keepers were having new faces put upon their
premises, and the number of " Exhibition hotels" gave
presage of a supply of accommodation which will have
the effect, probably, of preventing the system of fleecing
which prevailed in so many London establishments during
the Exhibition of 1851. Crowds of the citizens were
flocking to Merrion-square ; and in the groups wandering
on foot through the streets, or jauntily scampering along
in the cars for which Dublin is famous, one might per-
ceive that a large proportion were strangers—not a few.
indeed, being from 'the Continental countries. Thousands
of visitors arrived during Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday, by the steamers from Liverpool and Holyhead,
from the Clyde, and also from Belfast and other Irish
ports. Men of note made their appearance hourly. For
some time back Hogan, the sculptor, Grieve, the famous
scene-painter, Jones, the popular litterateur, and Hall,
the editor of the Art Journal, have been busy in the fine
art department—each of them fired with an enthusiasm
which has accomplished a vast amount of labour in a
wonderfully brief space of time. On Tuesday the proprie-
tor and conductor of the Athenceurn, Mr. Charles Went-
worth Dilke, one of the royal commissioners of the Ex-
hibition of 1851, arrived in Dublin, preparatory to the
issuing of a royal commission, similar to that deputed by
-Her Majesty to the World's Fair at New York, under the
direction of the Earl of Ellesmere, to examine the Irish
Exhibition and report upon it. From the public papers
it appears that a considerable amount of dissatisfaction
exists in the city with regard to the decision—that the in-
augurative proceedings shall not be opened with prayer.
Several Protestant clergymen have suggested that the
Archbishop of Dublin, or some clergyman of the Esta-
blished Church, should open the proceedings by invoking
God's blessing; the Roman Catholic Archbishop, or one of
his clergy, to close the proceedings by pronouncing the
apostolical benediction. " A Dublin Curate," writing in
Wednesday's Saunders, brings to bear upon the question
a passage extracted from the recent pastoral of a Popish
Archbishop in France, who says finely that "religion
should regulate and sanctify industry." The spectacle of
this noble palace being opened without a solemn prayer
to God for his blessing to rest upon the undertaking, if
it should take place, will, indeed, be a melancholy ex-
ample of the disadvantage under which Ireland exists as
the seat of strong religious dissension.
Among the miscellaneous attractions for the visitor
already come to hand we have Mr. Sims Reeves and other
eminent vocalists nightly at the Rotunda. The antient
concerts are being prosecuted with great vigour, and the
two principal theatres hare made an effort to be attractive.
Guide-books are plentiful as blackberries, only they are
very ill arranged. Cars are to be had in abundance ; and
to those who have a little time to spare after visiting the
Exhibition and the city " lions," we recommend a ride to
Blaynooth by the sylvan banks of the Liffey, a drive