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FRIDAYi SE^EMliGR 18', I8l)l;
SirWUlinm
Eoblnson.
nhO-DAY &r WiiliaW
JL Rbbinsotl lifts left
Portli, possibly not to re.
turri, kn& aitViougli ho goes ostensibly
meroly pn short loave of absoneo
it would Hot . bd right to allow tho
ovont to pass without comment. Hw
Excollenoy, after tho longest and most
distinguished oaroovoi! any colonial
Qovenior at present in tlio service,
onoo again quits tho colony in wliich
ho has best displayed his administva
tive ability, Bound judgmont and social
tact'. He loavea, it may tmloly ba
averred, with tho good-will and' boat
wisliGs of all. Not a oloud lina dark
ened th§ brilliant annshino amid
whioh Sir William inauguratdct dtld
has carried on tiio present Govbrh
iiloht. lib brought with him the bill
which secured us tho fullest political
liborfcy, ho loaves u.s in the enjoyment
of that liberty and with tho brightest
and best proapoofca before us. Ho
found us Hooially dividod, ho Jcavos 11a
firmly united and with a common aim.
If Wostoru Australia is tho last
colony ho is ealled upon to govern he
can woll say ' Finis coronal opus.'
Although ho has scarcely been a year
with us sinco, for tho third time, he
assumed tho position of our Governor,
ho has done tho best of work within
that period— work replete with inter
oat and importance. Men of high rank
and considorablo wealth} but without
experience and administrative aptitude
may perhaps very well servo as tho
'fltfUro-hoada' of tho State in thooldef
and richer colonies. But such a one
would havo boon of small use to us at
the outset o£ our new caroor, and
might have fallou into serious errors
— errors easily mado but which were
skilfnlly avoided by Sir William
Robinson. He know tho place woll.
and had many friouds here when he
returned to inaugurate the now Con
stitution. His local knowledge waa
most useful to him, whilst his friend
ships wer.o of such a kind that aU
though it could not bo said they
entered into his consideration of
public affairs they groatly aided
him in arriving at important conolu.
sions affeoting the genoral welfare.
He providod us with a sound and
stable Government, and helped hia
Ministers in a way that few men in
his position could. His long career
as a responsible ruler, his official ox.
porienco and hia administrative
ability rendered him a safo and sure
gnido for a body of Ministers now to
office and most of them with overy.
thing to learn. And thus tho import,
ant political change of last year was,
as far as tho machinery itself was
concerned, oifectod almost impercep.
tibly, New vyheels and fresh motive
power were introduced without any
stoppage, and thanks to tho oil care
fully dropped in here and thoro by
Sir William tho whole has worked
without the slightest friction, Sinco
His Excellency has been back in
Government Houso ho has exorcised
a very liberal and catholic hospital
ity. Bub ho has dono even nioruthau
this. When he returned to tho
colony at the lattor part of last year
he found, as wo havo said, a disunited
community, Ho collected tho scattered
strands of tho social fabric and
brought them together in a manner
worthy of all praise, and now thoy aro
woven into ono united wholo. Fox
all those bonefita tho colony is grate.
ful to Sir William Hobinson, and
all hough it would deploro tho non
return of His Excellency still it
wculd rejoice if ou leaving heie ho
was to go to tho Government of ono
of the great eolonios of tho Austra
lasian group. Although Sir William
came back to Western Australia at
his own request, having, it is said,
refused the important governorships
of Hong Kong, Mauritius and Ceylon,
und although ho camo back to. do
speoial work) which none but an ad
ministratorof vory special knowledge
and ability could do, it nevertheless
savored somewhat of ' Dutch pro.
motion ' to come hither aftor having
for six years governed the colony of
South Australia, nnrl linlrl +.lm Anf
ing Governorship of Viotoriajfor a pro.
longed period. Thoro art many years
of good and uaof ul work loft in Sir
William .Robinson. In spirit and
temperament ho ia still a young man,
and considering tho many years
of valuablo and distinguished sor
vicos ho has givon to tho Em.
piro he is deserving of some higher,
prizo than those so far bestowed
upon him. Australia is a country
whioh Sir William Robinson knows
and likes well aud in which Im ia
well-known and well-liked. Although
a now school iof untrained Governors
has sprung up in this country, and
although not ono of tho young noble
men at present governing neighboring
eolonios is a failure, it may bo trusted
that the Imporial Government are uot

8b entirely wectdod to tho riew system
as to bo prepared to .disregard tho
ting Am ablo stirtr itlito cif t,ilb durVlving
bnrosentativo in Australia of the
School of ' nvnfoooio^nl '--?- --
(.1 «i i »«v»yuMiwu-w {^uvtjniurs, ?
should a#ood opportunity arise of re
cognising his Bovvioos. Sir William
Robinson's claims to ono of tho highest
prizos in tho colonial sorvico avo many
and groat, and it may be hopod that
thoy will bo speedily reoognisod,
although tho gain ho would bo to ono
Of thft sister provincos would bo a
groat loss to this colony, whoro por.
haps ho is best likod and approoiatod.

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