24 PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, 



nature. Governor Arthur offered the first Headmastership 

 to the Rev. GT. H. Rusden, who, however, declined it. 

 Sectaria-n difficulties also made their appearance, and no- 

 thing came of the project, and in the Governor's Minute 

 to the Legislative Council on August 5th of this year, he 

 remarks: — "The period of the opening of the PubJic 

 "School, provided for so liberally by this Council, as I 

 "may here observe, was delayed, tO' my great disappoint- 

 "ment." In the same Minute he deals favourably with 

 the principle of giving support: to schools connected with 

 particular Churches, and adds: — "I have also included 

 "the vote of £400 in aid of a Grammar School in conneic- 

 "tion with the Established Church of England, an J.n- 

 "stitution which has, with eveiy promise of success, corn- 

 "menced its operation* under the auspices and through 

 "the liberality of the Society for promoting Christian 

 "knowledge. The Right Reverend the Bishop of Aus- 

 "tralia has taken a special interest in the School, and I 

 "cannot doubt that you will grant towards it liberal aia. ' 

 ("Hobart Town Gazette," 12th August, 1836, page 77 6.) 

 This latter school, however, does not appear to have mat- 

 ured, as the Appropriation Act for 1837 does not show the 

 item . 



In 1836 Governor Arthur retired, and in 1837 Sir 

 John Franklin arrived to take up the position of (iot- 

 ernor. 



SIR JOHN FRANKLINS SCHEME. 



In a pamphlet entitled "NaiTative of Some Pages in 

 "the History of Van Diemens Land during the last Three 

 "Years of Sir John Franklin's Administration of its Gov- 

 "ernment," printed in 1845, and circulated privately by 

 the Reverend J. P. Gell shortly after Sir John Franklin 

 left on his last voyage to the Arctic Regions, Sir John 

 Franklin gives an account of a College which he attempt- 

 ed to found, and, after referring to the previous attempt, 

 outlined above, states: — "In order to avoid at the outset 

 "any conflicting views, I deemed it advisable not to ex- 

 "plain mine till I had taken the first step towardsi their 

 "accomplishment. ... I preferred communicating at once 

 "with my friend, the late Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, of whom 

 "also I requested the great favour of selecting a person 

 "for the important charge contemj^lated, and of recom- 

 "mending such person to the Secretary of State for nom- 

 "ination."' 



It will be seen that Sir John Franklin desired to be 

 guided by Dr. Arnolds advice on the matter, and it will 

 appea^r further on, that Arnold's influence really siiaped 

 the scheme which was afterwards formulated. 



