26 PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION, 



"instruction at all, he must be anxious to inculcate its 

 "tenets; but if he be a man of judgment and honesty, and 

 "of a truly Catholic spirit, he will feel it a still more 

 "sacred duty not to abuse the confidence of those parents 

 "of different persuasions who may have entrusted their 

 "children to his care; and he wall think, besides, that 

 "the true spirit of a Christian teacher is not exactly the 

 "spirit of proselytism." 



Franklin, in a Minute explaining this Despatch and 

 the new scheme adds : — "In accordance w'ith these views, I 

 "have now the satisfaction of stating that the Secretary of 

 "State appointed to the office of Headmaster, or Principal, 

 "Mr. John Philip Gell, Master of Arts, of Trinity College, 

 "Cambridge. . . . Mr. Gell received express permission, as 

 "you may have infen'ed from the corresjoondence I have 

 "quoted, to enter into Holy Orders whenever he might 

 "think fit. ... It was further agreed that he sihould 

 "be engaged in the formation of the fundamental regnla- 

 "tions which were to be submitted tO' the Legislative 

 "Council; that he should be subject to the immediate con- 

 "trol of the Executive Government, and specially ex- 

 "empted from any Local Board, whether lay or clerical. ' 

 (Gazette, 1840, page 778.) 



Mr. Gell arrived, by the Runnymede on the 2nd April. 

 1840 ("Courier," 3/4/1840), and immediately set about to 

 establish a school. The Government called for tenders, 

 and eventually rented Mr. Justice Stephens house in 

 Macquarie-street, now occupied b}' the Sisters of the 

 Church as a School, at a rental of £300 per annum 

 ("Colonial Times," June 9th, 1840), ("Courier," 5;6/1840). 

 The School v/as opene-d, Gell be :g Principal, and the 

 Rev. H. P. Fry being Classical Master. See Regulations 

 of Queen"s School ("Gazette," 12th June, 1840, reprinted 

 and commented on, "Colonial Times," June 23rd, 1840). 

 Sir John continues in his Minute above cjuoted : — 

 "Since the arrival of Mr. (iell, and after asceilaining 

 'the great importance he attached to the Institution about 

 'tx) be established — being not merely a School, but a Col- 

 'lege (by which I mean a body possessing and admini.5ter- 

 'ing its own property, under Officers and Visitors ap- 

 ■pointed according to the rules of the foundation) — I 

 'addressed a letter to the Seci-etary of State, requesting 

 'that he would be pleased legally to constitute it by a 

 'Royal Charter of Incorporation. By this means alonr 

 'can it obtain a legal existence, and legal possession of 

 'property, wdiether in land, buildings, or, money. By 

 'no means that I am aware of can its stability and inde- 

 'pendence be secured, amidst the revolution of eyeait*. 



