the liberal education of the civil service in the branches of knowledge absolutely necessary to secure the blessings of good government to our native subjects. 128. It is scarcely necessary to repeat in this place, that the revival of Mr. Gilchrist's lectures would have left all these apprehensions and evils in full force, unless that revival had in fact been equivalent to the restitution of all the establishments of the college. 129. Urged, therefore, by these powerful principles of policy, and by these irresistible claims of justice, on the part of the younger branches of your civil service actually attached to the college; on the part of the learned gentlemen whose literary services have been devoted to the aid of the institution; and on the part of the learned natives collected from distant parts of Asia, retained in your service under the solemn pledge of public faith, and now successfully employed in diffusing their knowledge among your junior servants; I have resolved, that the order passed by the GovernorGeneral in council for the abolition of the college should not take full effect until the 31st of December, 1803. 130. In the meanwhile I have issued orders to the government of Fort St. George, and Bombay, directing that such writers of this season as had arrived at those Presidencies respectively from Europe should be retained, and that no writers belonging to the establishment of either of the subordinate Presidencies, should be conveyed to the college of Fort William until further orders. 131. According to the regulations and statutes, a considerable number of students from each of the Presidencies, will be detached from the college in the ensuing month of December. 132. The operation of the circumstances described in the two preceding paragraphs, will tend to diminish the expenses of the college during the ensuing year; I have, however, judged it to be proper to direct that such writers as shall arrive in Bengal with appointments to this establishment, shall be attached to the college upon their arrival, and shall be admitted to all the benefits of the institution, until its final abolition. 133. I shall issue to the Governments of Fort St. George, and Bombay, such orders as shall appear to me most conducive to the better instruction of the junior civil servants retained at each Presidency during the current year, and I shall pass such regulations as may be calculated to protect the Company against any considerable expense in consequence of any temporary system of instruction for the writers detained at each Presidency. I am however aware, that some inconvenience must necessarily attend the detention of these young men at their respective Presidencies, until the further pleasure of the Court upon the whole subject shall be communicated to this Government. But this inconvenience is inseparable from the nature of the case; viewed in its utmost possible extent, it admits of no comparison with the important considerations stated in this letter. 134. Among the motives which induced me to protract the existence of the institution until December, 1803, I have dwelt with considerable expectation on the opportunity, which this delay will afford to the honourable Court of reviewing the considerations which dictated their orders of the 27th of January, 1802, of adverting to the facts and arguments submitted to you in this letter, and of estimating the result of the important change effected in the situation of affairs in India, since the date of those advices, which had reached the Court in the month of January, 1802, and which appear to have formed the foundation of the Court's letter of the 27th of that month. 135. The honourable Court after the receipt of this despatch, will be enabled to proceed to a final decision of this important question with information amply sufficient to illustrate all its essential parts; and if the immediate result of the Court's renewed deliberation, should be to command this Government to accelerate the abolition of the college, and to demolish that institution at any period of time earlier than the 31st of December, 1803, you may be assured that, in the arduous situation which I now hold, I would manifest a prompt and dutiful obedience to an order, which would be founded on a full knowledge of the state of local circumstances in India, and of all the motives which now direct my opinion and conduct. 136. In such an event, I should certainly discharge my duty with promptitude and despatch; but I must have renounced the fixed conviction of my judgment, and I must have extinguished the warmest sentiments of my heart, before I could discharge such a duty without suffering the most severe pain and regret, in reflecting on the public benefits which must flow from the establishment of this institution, and on the public calamities which must attend its abolition. 137. The objects proposed by this institution are the most interesting, comprehensive, and important, which could be embraced by any public establishment; and their accomplishment is absolutely requisite for the good government and stability of this empire, and for the maintenance of the interests and honour of the Company and of the nation in India. 138. Many of these objects have already been accomplished by the effects of the institution under the eyes of this government, and all of them promise to be secured by the continuance and stability of the same system of discipline and study. 139. With such experience, and with such prospects, I cannot abandon the auspicious hope, that the representation submitted to you in this letter, may prove the means of inducing the honourable Court to restore to their civil service in India, the inestimable advantages which must be destroyed by the destruction of the college of Fort William, and to suffer the establishment of the college of Fort William to remain unaltered, until I shall have the honour of reporting in person to the Court, the condition and effects of the institution, and of submitting to you such details as may enable the honourable Court to exercise its final judgment on the whole plan. 140. The expense of the institution is greatly overbalanced by the importance and magnitude of its beneficial consequences. I should be guilty of disrespect, as well as of injustice towards the East India Company, if I could suggest, that the Court of Directors, with a full knowledge of the objects and principles of this institution, and with ample proofs of its actual success, could now admit an opinion, that the sum of money now requisite to defray its charges, might be applied to any purposes more beneficial to the interests of the Company in India. 141. I, therefore, close this letter with a perfect confidence, that the honourable Court will issue without delay, a positive command for the continuance of the college of Fort William until further orders; and, although my resignation of the office of Governor-General, precludes the hope of my being employed as the instrument for restoring this important benefit to these valuable dominions; I shall embark from India with a firm reliance, that my successor will execute the salutary orders of the honourable Court for the restoration of the college of Fort William, with the same sentiments of zeal for the public service, and of attachment to the public interests and honour, which induced me to found that institution. I have honour to be, With the greatest respect and esteem, Sir, No. CLXXIX. Extract of a Letter from the Hon. Henry Wellesley to the Marquess Wellesley. 1. I have already had the honour to address your Lordship respecting the conduct of General Perron's agents in the Punjab, and although my information upon this subject is extremely confined and imperfect, I think it my duty to continue to communicate to your Lordship any reports which may reach me upon a question in which our interests are so materially concerned. 2. Such is the distracted state of the Seik country, that Mr. Lewis (one of General Perron's officers) appears to have obtained possession of a considerable tract of country without the least resistance having been opposed to him. There can be no doubt of General Perron's intention to assume as large a portion of the Punjab as he may think himself able to manage, or it may be convenient to him to retain, and it is equally certain that the actual state of that country will render it an easy conquest to any thing like a regular force. 3. One of the greatest dangers to be apprehended from the establishment of a French force in the Punjab is, the means it would afford the French of extending their conquests down the Indus, and of securing a communication with the sea, by means of that river. This would remove every obstacle to their receiving supplies of men and stores from Europe, for there is no British force on that side of India, nor are there any native powers situated at the mouths of the Indus capable of opposing a regular force with any prospect of success. 4. It does not appear that General Perron's designs upon the Punjab are sanctioned by Scindiah, or that they are in any way connected with the interests of that Chief. 5. Whenever it can be avoided with safety to ourselves, and a due regard to the obligations attached to the possession of an extensive Empire, it is extremely desirable not to interfere in the disputes between the native powers, but the policy which dictated a forbearance in this respect is certainly weakened by the immense increase of territory, wealth, and power, which we have acquired within these few years. From the important stake which we now possess in the country, it is hardly possible that our interference should not be solicited by the native powers in any cases of emergency, and I am in daily expectation of receiving letters from Rajah Sahib Sing of Puttealeh and from the Rajah of Amrutsir, both of whom are ready and willing to oppose General Perron, provided their exertions could be directed to any good end. These letters shall be forwarded to your Lordship as soon as they reach me. 6. I understand it to be General Perron's intention to enter the Punjab as soon as the rains shall have subsided. I am likewise informed that he is making every effort to raise troops. I have the honour to be, humble servant, HENRY WEllesley. No. CLXXX. The Marquess Wellesley to the Chairman of the Honourable the Court of Directors. SIR, Fort William, August 12th, 1802. 1. I have the honour to enclose a copy of the Gazette Extraordinary of yesterday, containing the intelligence of the dreadful misfortune which has happened with regard to the Persian embassy at Bombay. It is not possible to describe the horror and affliction with which this disaster has filled my mind. 2. I trust, however, that I shall be able to succeed in convincing the Court of Persia that this calamity has arisen from circumstances which the British Government could neither have foreseen nor prevented. 3. For this purpose, I have ordered Major John Malcolm, so much distinguished for his successful embassy to Persia, to proceed to Bombay, under such instructions as will enable him to apply his knowledge of the temper and manners of the Court of Persia, and his influence with the individuals of that nation, to the actual state of affairs, on his arrival at Bombay. I also propose to despatch immediately to Bushire Mr. Lovett, a young gentleman of considerable talents, and intimately acquainted with the Persian language, for the purpose of forwarding the necessary communications to his Persian Majesty, and eventually to proceed to the Court of Persia. 4. I request you to communicate the contents of this letter to the Court of Directors, to whom I shall hereafter address a letter on the subject of this melancholy event. I have the honour to be, Sir, &c. Wellesley. (Enclosure.) August 11th, 1802. On the 9th instant, his Majesty's frigate La Chiffonne, Captain Stuart, arrived in the river from Bombay, with despatches from that Presidency to his Excellency the most noble the Governor-General in Council, containing the afflicting intelligence of the death of his Excellency Haujee Khuleel Khaun, Embassador to the British Government on the part of his Majesty the King of Persia. In the afternoon of the 20th ultimo, a dispute unfortunately arose between the Persian servants of the Embassador and the sepoys of the corps of Bengal volunteers composing his Excellency's honorary guard, at the house assigned for his residence near Massagong. An affray ensued, and both parties resorted to arms. At the commencement of the disturbance, his Excellency the Embassador, with his nephew Aga Hoossain, and his attendants, descended into |