ced the importance of a general and comprehensive
scheme. Sir George Gipps warmly seconded these opinions, but was
compelled to yield to the strength of the opposition offered by the
clergy, and which no concession short of ecclesiastical control was
deemed sufficient to remove. The agitation of this subject for several
years has lessened none of the difficulties which attended it, and it
remains a vexed question for solution by future legislators.

When the British system was established in Van Diemen's Land, masters
were sent out by Lord John Russell, at the colonial cost. The schools
were, however, regarded with increasing aversion by the episcopal
clergy. Messrs. Lock and Fry, the last a clergyman and the author of a
work on apostolical succession, visited the schools to report on them.
They saw, or thought they saw, laxity, sectarianism, and partiality; and
they gave the results of their enquiries in a copious publication. On
the arrival of the Right Rev. Dr. Nixon this book was placed in his
hands. He petitioned to be heard by counsel against the British system.
His request being granted, he delivered an earnest address, in which he
not only opposed the principle of the school, but reiterated many of the
statements of Messrs. Lock and Fry. The Board of Education had, however,
forwarded minute contradictions to these allegations; and Governor
Wilmot resolved to support the schools until, on a full consideration of
the adverse testimony, the secretary of state should otherwise determine
(1843). Lord Stanley recommended the appointment of a commission of
enquiry, which was accordingly confided to three episcopalian laymen,
who acquitted the schools of most of the imputations of their former
visitors. But the seals of the colonial-office had fallen into the hands
of Mr. Gladstone. This event was fatal to the British system. The
scholastic minister professed to examine elaborately the principles of
colonial and church education, and came to the conclusion that a scheme
of biblical instruction, confided to various teachers of uncertain
creeds, was too little for the churchmen, ought to be too much for the
catholics, and could only be agreeable to independents. He argued that
church teaching includes all that a church believes, and that its
inculcation was necessary to meet the fair requirements of religious
liberty. Acting on a suggestion in his despatch, Sir William Denison
granted a fixed sum per head to the denominati