▁Bor de aux , ▁G amb etta , ▁who ▁had ▁issued ▁a ▁pro clam ation ▁ex cluding ▁from ▁the ▁elections ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁officials ▁under ▁the ▁Empire , ▁was ▁all - power ful . ▁P ret ending ▁to ▁dispute ▁Jules ▁Simon ' s ▁credentials , ▁he ▁issued ▁orders ▁for ▁his ▁arrest . ▁Meanwhile , ▁Simon ▁had ▁found ▁means ▁of ▁communication ▁with ▁Paris , ▁and ▁on ▁ 6 ▁February ▁was ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁Eug ène ▁Pel let an , ▁E . ▁Arag o ▁and ▁G arn ier - Pages . ▁G amb etta ▁res igned , ▁and ▁the ▁min istry ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior , ▁though ▁nomin ally ▁given ▁to ▁Arag o , ▁was ▁really ▁in ▁Simon ' s ▁hands . ▁ ▁Third ▁Republic ▁▁ ▁De fe ated ▁in ▁the ▁département ▁of ▁the ▁Seine , ▁he ▁sat ▁for ▁the ▁Mar ne ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly , ▁and ▁res umed ▁the ▁port folio ▁of ▁Education ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁cabinet ▁of ▁Ad ol phe ▁Th iers ' s ▁presiden cy . ▁He ▁advoc ated ▁free ▁primary ▁education ▁yet ▁sought ▁to ▁conc ili ate ▁the ▁cler gy ▁by ▁all ▁the ▁means ▁in ▁his ▁power ; ▁but ▁no ▁con cess ions ▁removed ▁the ▁host ility ▁of ▁Dup an l oup , ▁who ▁pres ided ▁over ▁the ▁commission ▁appointed ▁to ▁consider ▁his ▁draft ▁of ▁an ▁elementary ▁education ▁bill . ▁The ▁re forms ▁he ▁was ▁actually ▁able ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁were ▁concerned ▁with ▁secondary ▁education . ▁He ▁encourag ed ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁living ▁languages , ▁and ▁limited ▁the