WESTERN AUSTRALIA. [From the Sydney Atlas, April 3.]

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

WESTERN AUSTRALIA. [From the Sydney Atlas, April 3.]

By wav of South Ausiralia we have received our files of Peri li papers. The Perth Inquirer hriogs the melancholy news of the death of His Excellency Andrew Claike, Esq., Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Western Australia and its Dependencies, which took place on the Ilih of February last-— full particulars of which will be found In low. It is our melancholy duty this week to announce the decease of His Excellency Governor Clarke, after a p:otratted illne=s, the result of long service in almost every part of 1 the globe, and the most unfavourable climates. He entered the service at a very eaily age, and was, we believe, when only 18 jears old, "in sole command of the tioops in Van Liemen's Land, From that period to the present he was in constant employment, and bus fallen a victim to the effects of fatigue and climate at the age of 54— 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 1 , as he has beet) a confirmed invalid almost from ibe 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 the details of this melancholy cercinouy, we shall endeavour to gratify them. A notice having been published, and sent by express 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 honr, and a few minutes to 10 the procession set forth, a salute of 17 minute-guns being fired at Freinantlc. The order was as follows :— The entire detachmenr of H.M. 51sl Light Infantry, with arms reversed. The Coffin, having the hat, plume, and sword of the deceased upon it, and inscribed. Pall Bearers. On the left. On the right. A. C. General Drake. Capt.Hare,H.M.slstL.l. W. H. Mackie, Esq., M. C. G. Leake, Esq., M. C. The Hon. theAdvocatcGenl. The Hon. the Sur. Genl. His Excellency's eh trger, led by two orderlies, and fully caparisoned, a black mantle of crape over the saddle, and the leading reins wrapped in while crape. CHIEF MOURNI'.KS. His Excellency Major Irwin. The Hon. G. F, Moore. The Private Secretary. The Heads of Departments, two and two. The Hi,jh Sheriff. The Magistrate* 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 ascended 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 fust peifoimauce in divine service. The procession then haviug 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 firing 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 an event on which the public will naturally expect something more from this journal, than the more 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 properly 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 so bare of incident, so wanting in political character of any sort, that we look in vain for any act of stale 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 «vhat it onitted 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. On the accession of the lale Governor, the public 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 hi fact nothing more than a manifestation, in its quietest form, of a spirit of restlessness and dissatisfaction at the pre-existing ortler of things— than upon any better assurance. The public were willing, nay detennincd, to believe that ihe change must be for the better, and in this belief they have remained,, waiting from day to day for some demon-

stration of geuius, some matter-stroke o\ policy winch should justify this belief, and give reality to their expectations. They have been waiting— need we say how vainly, fruitlessly, waitiug! If is certainly possible that under other circumstances, especially with reference to ihe late Governor's health, things might have been more happily managed. Hut we are not called upon to speculate upon what mis hi have been, still less upon what ought to have been, otherwise our task would be even le«s euviable than it is at present ; all that we have to do is to pass under review what has actually resulted from the late ad minis: ration, and, however painful it may be to us, we do not hisitate to ieclare 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 an injurious tendency, for, although it would not be difficult to respoud to such a call, the main sin consists, as we have said, rather iv omission than commission ; there has been a general spirit ol" do- nothingness ; the inertness of the Government has paralysed the whole colouv ; the impediments that have been placed upon public business have had their effects upon private enterprise ; and thus it has happened, that while many opportunities for improving the public weal have occurred, they have been allowed eit'ier to pass altogether unnot.ced, or have been taken advantage of so meanly as materially to reduce the benefits that might have been reaped under a* more zealous and active co-operation of Government and people. We repeat that it is far, very far indeed, Irom our wish, to inflict any 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 winch ties our tongue, and restrains our hand ivithin the limits which we think are marked out by our public duty. But this we feel imperatively bound to say— that the late Government had become a positive burden on the colony, a clog upon the public prosperity, and its termination, therefore, cannot be looked uputi as any matter for public regret. And yet what are the prospects which the new Govcrnmeut holds forth ? if indeed that can be called new .vhii.li has been, in fact, so long in use. The present government is made up of those very men who lor the last eight months have had the direction of affairs,— -for it is notorious that for a long time the late Governor was rpjite unable to take any part in the public business,— and we very much fear that the aptitude lor government which has been displayed by these gentlemen, dur.tig a tolerably long acquaintance with the 'Western Australian public, has not been such as to give our settlers any very great confidence iv the measures to result Irom their wisdom. It would seem, there (me, that our prospects are no whit improved, excepting in this respect— viz., that we have now a chance of having a new Governor, and probably even a new Colonial Secretaiy, 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 belorc them, they have an opportunity of showing to advantage, and we trust they will not neglect it.