46. It will be manifest, therefore, to your judgment, that the current expenses of these separate establishments at each Presidency respectively, framed even on the scale stated in the preceding pages, or on any scale compatible with the attainment of the proposed objects, must equal, and would probably exceed the total current charges of the college of Fort William, on the highest estimate of those charges.

47. But a more attentive examination of the subject will convince you that the expense of the three proposed seminaries, must far exceed the preceding calculation, and in the same degree must also exceed, not only the current charges, but the probable amount of the contingent expenses of the college founded at Fort William.

48. The fifth paragraph of the honourable Court's letter is expressed in terms which might convey a supposition, that the minute of the GovernorGeneral under date 21st December, 1798, originated in some plan of a literary establishment proposed by Mr. Gilchrist. But the minute of the Governor-General of the 21st December, 1798, states distinctly, that "my attention had been long directed to the existing defects in the education of the civil service, that I had formed and had stated verbally in council, the general outlines of an extensive plan for the purpose of remedying those defects, and that the execution of that plan had been delayed exclusively by the dangers which then menaced the existence of this empire, and demanded my presence on the coast of Coromandel." The minute and the order in council annexed to it, bear date on the 21st December, 1798. On the 25th, I embarked for Madras

49. The zeal, ability, and diligence of Mr. Gilchrist as a teacher of the Hindostanee language, and his eminent merits in forming a most useful grammar and dictionary, of that colloquial dialect, induced me to consider him to be the most eligible instrument for the purpose of aiding me in attempting an experiment of the practical use of a systematic plan of instruction in the study of the oriental languages.

50. Mr. Gilchrist never offered to my consideration, any proposal for the institution of a seminary for oriental learning; that gentleman merely. proposed to me the aid of his services in giving lessons in the Hindostanee, and in the rudiments of the Persian language, under whatever institution this government might establish. Mr Gilchrist's laudable offer of the aid of his labours on that occasion was not only prompt and zealous, but was accompanied by circumstances highly creditable to his liberality and public spirit, to the moderation of his views of private interest, and to his just sense and value of public fame.

51. The result of Mr. Gilchrist's services corresponded with my most sanguine expectations, and proved in the most satisfactory manner, the great advantages which must result from establishing for the civil service, a regular and systematic plan of instruction in the oriental languages, in place of the desultory mode of study which had hitherto prevailed under the ordinary practice of resorting exclusively to native Moonshees, for assistance in learning those languages.

52 Mr. Gilchrist's lessons indeed were more particularly directed to the grammatical-tudy of the Hindostanee language. That able and indefatigable

scholar does not profess to furnish instruction in the Persian language beyond its first elements; and the knowledge of the Persian language acquired by some of the students under Mr. Gilchrist, was merely elementary; but the examinations holden in July, 1800, and the progress (unexampled until that time) made by some of Mr. Gilchrist's scholars in the Hindostanee dialect, and in the rudiments of the Persian language, furnished ample ground for estimating the benefits which would be derived to the civil service, under the operation of a regular education, not only in the Hindostanee language, but in every branch of knowledge connected with the public duties of the civil servants.

53. I request you to remark, that in my original minute of December, 1798, I expressly proposed the employment of Mr. Gilchrist, and the future examination of his scholars with the exclusive view of ascertaining the efficacy of Mr. Gilchrist's mode of instruction.

54. The notification issued at the same period of time to the civil service in Bengal, is stated in my minute of 21st December, 1798, to have been proposed as a measure which might be useful, with a view to establish the fundamental principles of the general and more extensive plan at that time in my contemplation.

55. These principles consisted in imposing an obligation upon the civil service, to attend to the study of the oriental languages, and of the laws and regulations of government; and in rendering previous examinations in those studies, necessary qualifications for office.

56. The object of this notification was rather to excite the diligence of your civil service, than actually to enforce the examinations announced in that paper; considerable difficulties would have occurred in prosecuting an attempt to enforce such a system of examination. And it was always my opinion that the existing defects in the qualifications of your civil service could not be corrected effectually without applying the remedy to the source of the evil, the original education of the writers. The notification of 1798, however, was useful in raising a general spirit of attention to oriental knowledge throughout this service.

57. The respectable and learned gentlemen who formed the committee of examination of Mr. Gilchrist's scholars in July, 1800, refer the benefits to be derived from the progress of Mr. Gilchrist's services directly to the institution of the college, and they justly consider Mr. Gilchrist's lessons to have been merely introductory to the foundation of that institution, and to have furnished the most abundant proofs of its indispensable necessity, as well as of its certain utility and beneficial effect.

58. The letter of the honourable Court, under date the 7th of May, 1800, approves the principles stated in the notification of December, 1798, and sanctions the more extensive arrangement intended to be founded on those principles, but that letter contains no reference to the existence of any seminary under the direction of Mr. Gilchrist, as furnishing the model of the establishment which the Governor-General in council, had declared to be in his contemplation.

59. Adverting to these circumstances, I should have found considerable

difficulty in forming a just conception of the precise intention of the honourable Court in directing me to supersede the establishment of the college of Fort William, by the re-establishment of "Mr. Gilchrist's seminary," if the honourable Court had not been pleased to state in the 6th and 7th paragraphs of the letter of the 27th January, 1802, the particular branches of knowledge deemed by the Court sufficient to qualify a civil servant for the administration of affairs in Bengal, and had not thus described the extent and nature of the establishment which it proposed to sanction.

60. But no modification or extension of the plan under which Mr. Gilchrist was employed in 1799, and 1800, can embrace the objects proposed to be secured by the collegiate establishment at Fort William.

61. It was among the advantages arising from the employment of Mr. Gilchrist, that not only the success of his services was highly beneficial, to the extent which it reached, but that the fundamental defects of that limited plan, furnished rules for my guidance in founding a comprehensive and liberal institution on the grounds of practical experience.

62. It was found that the numerous body of young men assembled at Calcutta, for the purpose of attending Mr. Gilchrist's lectures, was exposed to various disadvantages, the effect of which counteracted the assiduity of their teacher, and tended to produce mischiefs of a serious description.

63. The local authority of this great government could not be immediately and constantly applied to control among the young men individual habits of negligence, dissipation, contumacy, extravagance, or immorality. The continual and important avocations of the Governor-General in council, and the nature and eminence of his station, rendered it impracticable, as well as improper for him to attempt to exercise the immediate discipline requisite to maintain regularity of conduct, and attention to study, among such a numerous body of the junior servants. Mr. Gilchrist's lectures, therefore, although highly useful to those naturally disposed to industry and order, furnished no control or discipline to restrain or correct those of opposite inclinations.

64. The young men of more unsettled dispositions neglected the lectures, and availed themselves of their residence in this populous town, to indulge in courses of extravagance, expense and dissipation. The limited plan of Mr. Gilchrist's lectures supplied no intermediate and special jurisdiction, placed between the government and the students, to apply through a respectable channel the authority of the Governor-General in council, in enforcing a due system of discipline, and study, in regulating private economy, and moral conduct, in precluding temptation to expense, and in guarding against every vicious excess.

65. But it cannot be denied, that these objects are of the highest importance, not merely on moral considerations, but in their relation to the political interests and honour of the Company, and of the nation in India, and to the purity and efficiency of the public service.

66. Wherever a numerous body of young men shall be assembled for the purpose of study, whatever form of instruction may be devised for their

education, it cannot be expected that their attention will be systematically fixed on their prescribed duties, unless the discharge of those duties shall be duly enforced by an efficient system of discipline and restraint.

67. These incontrovertible principles, derived from general experience, and confirmed by my personal experience of the dangers to which the young men were exposed during their attendance on Mr. Gilchrist, induced me to form my general plan for the better instruction of your civil service on the basis of a collegiate institution, in which study should be enforced by discipline, and education regulated by efficient restraint; in which, (according to the words of the regulation which the honourable Court has been pleased to abrogate) "under the superintendance, direction, and control of the supreme authority of these possessions, the studies of the junior servants, appointed at an early period of life to the civil service of the honourable the East India Company; should be directed and regulated, their conduct upon their first arrival in India guided, their morals formed, improved, and preserved; and in which, the junior servants should be encouraged to maintain the honour of the British name in India, by a regular and orderly course of industry, prudence, integrity and religion."

68. In pursuance of these indispensable objects, the regulation established the offices of provost and the vice-provost, and the statute constituted a council of the superior officers of the college for the internal government of the institution, and it was declared to be the primary duty of the provost "to receive the junior civil servants on their first arrival at Fort William, to superintend and regulate their general morals and conduct, to assist them with his advice and admonition; and to instruct and confirm them in the principles of the Christian religion, according to the doctrine, discipline and rites of the church of England, as established by law.”

69. The statutes also made especial provision for applying the authority of the provost "to guard the moral and religious interests and character of the institution, by controling the conduct of the officers, professors, and teachers of the college, and for applying the internal authority of the superior officers of the college, to strengthen and confirm within these possessions the attachment of the civil servants of the East India Company, to the wise laws and happy constitution of Great Britain, and to maintain and uphold the Christian religion in this quarter of the globe." The statutes also established a public table, and required the regular attendance of the students at that table, for the purpose of precluding habits of debauchery and expense, and the statutes also provided the most effectual restraints which could be devised to prevent the junior civil servants from contracting debt.

70. Without such a vigorous and respectable system of restraint and discipline, it is my conscientious opinion that great mischief would be infused into your civil service, at its very source by establishing any seminary of instruction, which should require the whole body of your junior civil servants to continue assembled together for any considerable period of time in any part of your possessions; and above all, at the seats of the respective Presidencies.

71. When the honourable Court shall have deliberately reviewed the

probable consequences of assembling the body of the junior civil servants at each of the Presidencies under such circumstances, I am persuaded that the Court will issue a positive command to establish at each Presidency, in addition to the necessary teachers and professors, some authority of the nature of that exercised in colleges in Europe, and of that now existing in the college of Fort William, for the purpose of maintaining and promoting order and discipline, good morals and religion.

72. Having formed a decided judgment founded on personal experience, and on a most assiduous and deliberate attention to the state of your service, and of your possessions, that the institutions ordered by the honourable Court, will prove not only inefficient with reference to their proposed objects, but the sources of positive danger to the service without the additional establishments described in the preceding paragraphs, my respect for the wisdom, justice and honour of the Court demands the conclusion which I have drawn from these premises. I therefore repeat my certain conviction, that the Court will immediately cominand each of these Presidencies to incur this additional charge, for the purpose of giving efficiency to the proposed system of study, and of saving the younger branches of the service from ruinous courses of dissipation, licentiousness, and expense.

73. The seminary to be established in Calcutta, under the late orders of the Court would necessarily include all the writers for Bengal, according to their successive arrival in India; no material reduction of establishment or of expense would therefore be effected at Calcutta, if the public table, and the existing system for the internal government of the college should be maintained, although the writers belonging to the subordinate Presidencies should be separated from the institution.

74. On the other hand, the same internal jurisdiction necessary for the discipline and government of the numerous body of the students of Bengal, would be sufficient to preserve order and regularity in the whole collective body of students from the three Presidencies. Neither the Government of Fort St. George, nor that of Bombay, could compromise its local authority in enforcing hourly attention to study, and in compelling regularity of individual conduct among the junior civil servants, attached to their respective seminaries of instruction. If therefore, the writers of Fort St. George, and Bombay should be attached to distinct seminaries at each of those Presidencies, each institution must be framed nearly on the model of the college at Fort William, with similar establishments for the maintenance of internal discipline and control, and for preventing expense and debt.

75. Under all these circumstances, the final result of dividing the college of Fort William into three seminaries, to be established separately at each Presidency would either be to render each and all of those seminaries inefficient and dangerous, or to aggravate the collective expense of this triple institution to an amount greatly exceeding the charges of the united establishment now existing at Fort William.

76. Having thus compared the actual expenses of the college of Fort William, with the probable expense of the establishments by which the Court has been pleased to supersede that institution, I am anxious to direct