The Melbourne Exhibition may fairly be looked upon as one of the wonders of the age, and as affording strong evidence of the vigor and enterprise of the colonists in the Aus tralian portion of Her Majesty's dominions. It is a celebration of the first centenary of the colony, of which all connected with it may well feel proud. The first international Exhibition was held in Hyde Park in 1851, when Melbourne, although the colony was more than half a century old, was scarcely known, for that whioh has since proved an irresistible attraction to men from all parts of the world, the existence of gold, was then Unknown, and the whole country was oooupied principally by squatters devoting their at tention to pastoral pursuits. Thirty seven years "have passed since tha opening of the " Crystal Palace " with which the name of the Prince Consort will ever be honorably associ ated, and now Melbourne, a magnificent city with a population of some 300,000, opens ita hoßpitable arms and invites all the world to unite with it in celebrating the hundredth birthday of the colony of whioh it is the capital. The invitation is accepted and the nations "of Europe, that great nation which has sprung up with suoh marvellous rapidity in the west, and whioh only 100 years ago decided upon the form of Government it should adopt, the people of India, Japan, China, and those resident in the uttermost parts of the earth hasten to exhibit in a building whioh far exceeds in size that of 1851, the products of their various lands, j and the treasures of their Art Galleries. In 1851 bud libil->, comparatively speaking, waa known of the soifence of electricity. Now that subtle force has bten tamed to account to illuminate this giga&tio building whioh under its influence, wn are told, sug gesta a scene from Fairyland. It is satis factory to find that \a this enormous colleotiou of exhibits of all clftßsOP, our own colony is s> worthily represented, and New Zealand m:ty hope to deriva. grant benefit from the publicity that is thus given to her natural product 3 and industries. 