comrnercial security. THE DUNEDIN HIGH SCHOOL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 154, 14 May 1862, Page 4

commercial security. THE DUNEDIN HIGH SCHOOL.

(communicated.) The subject of Education and particularly of a higher class of Education for Dunedin has had its share of public attention directed to it lately in the public prints . It is well that amidst the grovelling and money-making propensities of the' age, some little notice should be directed to this important subject, especially, in anticipation of the early establishment of the High School on a footing to which, had the original idea of its proposers been carried out, it should have attained long ago. No doubt.there were difficulties in .the way of its accomplishment—the Colony was in a comparative state of infancy—its finances were low and ill able to bear the burden of defraying the heavy expense which a thoroughly equipped institution would have i entailed upon it. A building is now being [ erected at the public, expense, which will,not •nly be an ornament to the town; but also well adapted for carrying out such an organization as the idea of a High" School suggests. Some there are amongst us who would have the High School exclusively devoted to the education of the children of the higher or upper classes of the community, the the branches taught and the fees exacted to be only suitable for them. Others again would have nothing but the higher branches, such as classics and mathematics, taught there, but our own opinion is that it will fall far short of its purpose as an educational establishment if it do not impart to all classes of the community an "education commencing at the very elements and extending its onward flight to the highest branches of science and classics, at a fee accessible to the honest laborer and artizan as well as to those of a more exalted station in society. The beau-ideal of a high school is one whose organization is complete in its various departments, comprising, junior and senior English, writing and arithmetical, classical and mathematical, each taught by a well qualified instructor, the rector having the over-ruling control over all. We know of institutions in the old country founded on like principles, and admirably fulfilling' these important ends. We can point to Madras College, St. Andrews, Dollar Academy, &c, in all of which children of every class of society have an opportunity of acquiring the most liberal education, from the very rudiments, imparted by teachers of distinguished merit. Why should it'not be so ? Why shpuld there be any invidious distinction made in the matter of education amongst us? Our own humble opinion is, and it is an opinion derived from long experience, that as the children of the various classes of a community have to rub against each other in the battle of life, the initiatory step, the1 training of a well regulated public school, is a mighty advautage to all— to the children of the higher classes, more perhaps .than to the others. It imparts firmness and decision of character—it gives an insight into the various phases of human charac-

ter, it promotes good feeling amongst the various orders of society—it stimul-tes t<> action. We never yet met with un . in, dividual who had b. en privately taught though his advantages were ever so gmit, turning out a pood bu- iriess man. But the advocates of the exclusive system say thut their children (being no doubt of better clay) learn all manner of wicked practices, by bein»allowed to mingle with those of the working classes in a public school, and that they could < * never think of sending them fhifhir to be thus^b^ contaminated. This feeling, no doubt, has iisSwjir origin in pride. Mow comes it to pass that,^^ notwithstanding all the solicitude of parental watching, the morals of their children in after life, are not, in general, superior to those uf individuals of more humble origin. We have no patience with those who would form a gulf between the higher and lower orders of society, on the plea that as the former are • superior to the latter in station and^worldiy emoluments, they should be equally superior in all that beautifies nnd exalts character. These remarks are penned with a view, if possible, to counteract a feeling which we are sorry to say is taking root in our city. The High School, when fully equipped, will, we hope, bring all classes to a common level in the matter of education, and thus fulfil'its high aud important end in our midst. In the letter of our Auckland Correspondent published yesterday, {allusion is made to "an amusing passage of arms between the Superintendent and the Provincial Council." The following, from the New Zealander, of April 19th, will throw some further light upon the rather obscure allusion of our correspondent:— As everyoue believed that he 'must do, the Governor has declined to remove the Superintendent from his office because Mr. Curleton, and Messrs. Diildy Busby, and some young gentlemen in the Council have a personal dislike to him. The rocket was sont up with great noise and shouting: this is the •' stick " :—■■*■.":* Colonial Secretary's Office, '■■:■■ Auckland, Apiil 14th, 1862:1 To Hugh Carleton, Esq., M.P.C. Sik,—l have the honor to inform you that the Petition signed by eighteen members of the Provincial Council of Auckland, praying for the removal of the Superintendent, which was forwarded by you to His Excellency Sir George Grey, lias been referred by him to Uis ministers for their advice as to the course which he ought to pursue in the matter; and I am commanded to convey to you, on behalf of yourself and the other gentlemen who signed the Petition the conclusion arrived at by His Excellency, which is' that the circumstances disclosed by the petitioners do not constitute one of those extreme cases which would alone justify His Excellency in exercising the power vested in him by the Constitution Act. I have, &0., Willtam; Fox, . Colonial Secretary. . ■ "We have been given to understand that Captain Murray, who has for a long time been navigating the River Murray, in Australian, with a flat bottomed steam vessel, has lately visited this Province with the view of arranging for the navigation of the Clutha Eiver, and the Waihola Lake with similar vessels. We believe that Captain Murray is not the only person who has entertained this idea. Itis an excellcntSiotion, and whoever may ultimately carry it out Avill ' deserve to reap a handsome reward for his enterprise. ■ ■■■■•.- In the, report of the case of Brutton, in the ' Supreme Court, tyhich appeared ip pur columns of yesterday, it was by an error of the press, made to appear that his sentence was to date from the ,23rd March, whereas the sentence was for nine months from thei23rd November last. We learn from our own gold fields'correspondent that a couple of informers hare lately been busy with the storekeepers-and owners of refreshment tents on the diggings, and that they-have laid no less than forty informations for sly grogsellihg. Twenty of the parties have been-sum-moned, and will have to appear before tlie Resident Magistrate at Tuapeka to-day. ' We understand that the prisoner Gavrett, whet " was to have been tried tfl-day, will not be brought up for trial till to-morrow, We regret that we are not yet able to furnish any further and positive infomation respecting the snpposed new gold field, but we hope to be able to do so in our next issue. '.'■."