WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 102, 15 May 1847, Page 3

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

[Prom the Sydney Atlas, April 3.] By way of South Australia we have received our files of Perth papers. The Perth Inquirer brings the melancholy news of the death of His Excellency Andrew Clarke, Esq., Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia and its Dependencies, which took place on the 11th of February last— full particulars of which will be found below. It is our melancholy duty this week to announce the decease of His Excellency Governor Clarke, after a protracted lllue-s, the result of long service in almost every part of the globe, and the most unfavourable climates. He entered the service at a very eaily nge, and was, we believe, when only 18 years old, in sole command of the troops in Van Diemen's Land. Fiom that period to the present he was in constant employment, and has fallen a victim to the effects of fatigue and climate at the age of s'l— a time when most men are in the vigour of life. Of the personal character of Colonel Clarke the settlers of Western Australia can of course know nothing, as he has been a confirmed invalid almost from the day of his arrival amongst us, and we can therefore only form an opinion from the warm attachment evinced for him among the members of his own family. THE FUNERAL. As many of our readers may be desirous to know (he details of this melancholy ceremony, we shall endeavour to gratify them. A notice having been published, and sent by expiess to the neighbouring country districts, that the procession would form at 9 a. m. on Saturday, at , Government House, all the officers, civil and military, and all of the magistracy and gentry who could attend, assembled there at that hour, and a few minuies to 10 the procession set forth, a salute of 17 nmiute-guns being fired at Fitmantlc. The order was as follows: — The entire detachmenr of H. M. 51st Light Infantry, with arms reversed. The Coffin, having the hat, plume, ami sword of the deceased upon it, and ittsciibed. Pall Bearers. On the left. On the right. A. C. General Drake. Capt.il are, H.M.5151L.l W. H. Mackie, Esq., M. C. G. Leake, Esq., M. C. TlicHou.thcAdvocateGeul. The Hon. theSur. Genl His Excellency's charger, led by two orderlies, and fu»iy caparisoned, a black mantle of crape over the saddle, and the leading reins wrapped in white crape. CHIEF MOURNEKS* His Excellency Major lrwin. The Hon. G. F. Moore The Private Secretary. The Heads of Departments, two and two. The High Sheriff. The Magistrates of the Colony, two and two. Clerks, &c, of Departments, two and two. Gentry, Merchants, &c, &c, &c., two and two. As the process'on asrended the steps of St. George's Church, our beautiful service was commenced by the Rev. the Colonial Chaplain, and as the coffin entered, the Solemn notes of the "Dead March" were pealed forth from the new instrument—singular to remark, its first peifoimance in divine service. The procession then having been re-formed, proceeded to the Cemetery, where the coffin was committed to the tomb, the service being read by the Rev. the Colonial Chaplain, and the troops tiring three rounds over the grave. The Hon. Major lrwin, senior Executive Councillor, has assumed the reins of Government till her Majesty's pleasure be known. The demise of the head of Her Majesty's Government in this colony, is au event on which the public will naturally expect something more from this journal, than the mere ordinary announcement of the death of one Governor, and the succession of another; and we consequently propose here to offer a slight review of the past administration, together with such general remarks as the occasion may proicrly induce. We have said that our intention is to offer a. slight review— and such must of necessity be the case, from the very scanty materials which the subject affords. The recent administration has been su bare of incident, so wanting in political character of any sort, that we look in vain for any act of state policy by which to distinguish its existence. We say it not with any feeling of disrespect either to the dead, or the living, but still we do say it, and our duty to the public requires that we should say it — that the re cent administration was a practical nonentity ; that it will be held in remembrance rather for what it omitted to do, than for what it has done; and that hereafter, when our brother settlers turn to the year 1846, they will view it only as a season of political disappointment and regret. Ou the accession of the hue Governor, the pnblic expectation was high. Whether or not that expectation rested upon really solid and rational grounds, it would be idle now to inquire. It seemed to us, even at the time, to be founded more upon that ill-defined hope, which so generally springs up upon any sudden change— and which is in fact nothing more than a manifestation, in its quietest form, of a spirit of restlessness and dissatisfaction ut the pre-existing otfUer of things— than upon any belter assurance. The public were willing, nay determined, to believe that the change must be for the better, and in this belief they have remained, waitiug from day to day for some demonstration of genius, some matter-stroke of policy which should justify this belief, and give reality to their expectations. They have been waiting— need we say how vainly, fruitlessly, waiting! It is certainly possible that uuder other circumstances, especially with reference to the late Governor's health, things might have been more happily managed. Hut we arc not called upon to speculate upon what might have been, still less upon what ought to have been, otherwise our task would be even leis enviable thau it is at present; all that we have to do is to pass uuder review what has actually resulted from the late administration, and, however painful it may be to us, we do not hesitate to declare our opinion of such result to be, unmixed, unmitigated, evil. It would be no reply to this accusation to call for a specific list of the acts of Government having au injurious tendency, for, although it would not be difficult to respond to such a call, the main sin consists, as we have said, rather in omission than commission ; there has been a general spirit of do-nothingness ; the inertness of the Government has paralysed the whole colony; the impediments that have been placed upon public business have had iheir effects upon private enterprise; and thus it has happened, that while many opportunities for improving the public weal have occurred, they have been allowed either to pass altogether unnoticed, or have been taken advantage of so meanly as materially to reduce the benefits that might have been reaped under a^morc zealous and active co- operation of

Government and people. We repeat that it is far, very far indeed, from our wish, to inflict auy wound upon private feelings: we have much sympathy with, and consideration for, more than one of the persons whom these remarks may affect, and this it is which ties our tongue, and restrains our hand within the limits which we think are marked out by our public duty. Hut this we (eel imperatively bound to say — that the late Government had become a positive burden on the colony, a flog upon the public prosperity, and its termination, therefore, cannot be looked upon as any matter lor public regret. And yet what are the prospeds wlvch the n -w Goverumeut holds forth ? if indeed that can he called new vliich has been, in fact, so long in use The present government is made up of those veiy men who for the last eight month* have had the direction of affairs, — for it is notorious that for a long time the late Governor was quite unable to take auy part in the public business,— and we very much lear that the aptitude lor government which has been displayed by these gentlemen, dur ng a tolerably long acquaintance wiih the Western Australian public, has not been such as to give our settles any very great confidence in the measures to result from their wisdom. It would seem, therefme, that our prospects are no whit impnved, excepting in this respect— viz., that we have now a chance of having a new Governor, and probably even a new Colonial Secretary, sent out from England ; thus obtaining what we have long maintained to be essential to the proper government'of the colony, and the prosperity of the settlers— a complete change of rulers. On this subject, however, (unless things take a turn which we by no means anticipate) we shall have something to say to our readers at another opportunity. In the interim, we fervently hope that the new administration will, by its acts, contradict the expectation which We, in common we believe with every person who has thought on the subject, have formed respecting it. It may he that under the late Government they were unable to take a leading course—that, in fact, their " light was hid under a bushel ;" but now that they have the way clear before them, they have an opportunity of showing to advantage, and we trust they will uot neglect it.