BY W. F. D. BTJTLER, B.A., M.SC, LL.B. 53 



Fresh Designs wex-e supplied to the Archdeacon by- 

 Mr. Wm. Archer, of Woolniers. Before entering on the 

 contract, the Building Committee appear to have had 

 £9G0 at their disposal. They had sold the land in Col- 

 lins-street to Mr. Thomas Alcock for £430, and the pre- 

 parations for the new building v/erc at once taken in hanu. 

 The foundation stone was laid on the 31st August, 1847, 

 by Sir Wm. Denison, in the presence of Archdeacon Mar- 

 riott, thfe Warden and Fellows of Christ's College, as well 

 as the Clergy, the Headmaster, and boys of the School, and 

 numerous members of the public. 



A new prospectus was issued, in which the objects 

 of the School were distinctly stated. Bishop Nixon had 

 previously referred to the connexion of the Schools with 

 the Church, in his speech to the S.P.C.K. ("Courier, 

 17/6/46), in which he said: — ''These subsidiary institu- 

 "tions would, for obvious reasons, be conducted on more 

 "catholic principles — if he might use the term — than could 

 'be the case in a College. The children would mainly 

 "be more directed under the eye and the control of their 

 "parents, and to them, therefore, would be left the duty 

 "of doctrinal instriiction. Yet let him not be misunder- 

 'stood. He could not, for one moment, consent to 

 "separate religion from secular learning. He could not 

 "consent to a plan by which, in an Institution dedicated 

 "to the glory of God, all thought, all mention of Him 

 "should be excluded. While, therefore, no exclusive 



"creed be taught, or obsei'\'anccs enforced, much would 

 "be done to presei-ve that religious character which all 

 "sound and Christian education must essentially possess." 



The Bishops views were elaborated and explained by 

 Gell in his Speech at the laving of the foundation str^ne of 

 the School: — "The freedom of conscience is at once tlie 

 "foundation, the safeguard, and the distinguishing glory 

 "of the present constitution of the Church of EnglanJ. 

 'How baseless, then, are those suspicions which some have 

 "entertained, that if the Hutchins School is connected 

 "with the Church of England compulsion will be laid upon 

 "the conscience of any one ; that none will be admitted 

 "who will not submit to certain formularies and dogmas 

 "of which our Church approves. On the contrarv, the 

 "School is free and open to all. If a parent comes and 

 "savs, 'I de.'ire education for my child, and among the 

 " 'limited opportunities which this town affords I see 

 " 'nothing preferable to the Hutchins School ; but there 

 " 'are certain formularies connected with religious insti*uc- 

 " 'tion, in which you follow the Church of England, to 

 " 'which I conscientiouslv object en my own account and 

 " 'on account of my child,' the answer will at once be that 

 E 



