tive heads of colleges both Mahommedan and Hindoo. The latter had indeed reason to be alarmed by even the partial substitution of a new and popular means of education, and they soon felt the ground rapidly slipping from under them. This will appear more fully from the following extract from the official returns to Government.

"In 1831 there were attending the Sanscrit College,—

30 pupils paid by Government 8 rupees a month.

At the end of 1835 :

Sanscrit College,-135 stipendiary.

English College,-407, of whom 374 were paying for their education.

In this return we see no boys paying for education in Arabic and Sanscrit, but instructed either at the Government expense or free of cost, whilst there is a striking contrast in favour of English. The above is the return for Calcutta only, but it was everywhere the same. Arabic and Sanscrit were comparatively neglected, and English pursued with avidity: the following statement of books sold by the School-book Society, a private institution, for four years, to the close of 1839, remarkably confirms this fact:

It is not surprizing that the Orientalists should take the alarm, that the learned Moulvces and Pundits of the colleges deplored their failing classes, deserted except by those who were paid by Government to attend them; while the ranks of the English teachers were thronged with boys, who willingly paid as much as the Government paid the others for the studies of Arabic and Sanscrit. It is, however, from the books sold that we perceive the true bent of popular desire; nearly one hundred times more English than Oriental books from one establishment alone in Calcutta (not reckoning those from the Danish Mission press of Scrampoor, and all the private presses and bookselling establishments of Calcutta), shows an overwhelming preponderance in favour of modern acquirement, over the difficult and useless works in Arabic and Sanscrit.

With these cheering prospects, the friends of true education were beginning to rejoice, that at last, after a weary age of ignorance and superstition, the youth of India were in a fair way to acquire knowledge of truth, through the medium of the English language; and practical refutations were given to the argument that English was only valued by the people as a means of obtaining Government employ. In a great measure, however, the expectations of the English Educationists were checked by the Minute on Education issued by the Earl of Auckland, to which we are about to allude.

The advance made by Lord William Bentinck established the dissemination of European literature. He could not recognize the practical utility of the Arabic and Sanscrit languages; he saw that their study was confined to a few Mahomedans and Brahmins, who aspired to the situations of law-officers in the courts, or to be expounders of the Koran and the Shastrus in the mosques and temples, and that the heart of the people was not in these studies. He knew that, by the tenets of the Hindoo faith, none but Brahmins could approach the study of Sanscrit, leading as it did to the almost exclusive study of the Hindoo sacred writings; and that in this language, and still more in Arabic, it was almost entirely

the stipend allowed to each student by the Government which induced youths to enter the colleges in pursuit of so laborious a course of study. This was a bold measure, but it was decisive; those who were inimical to it declared that it would be met by the earnest remonstrances of the people at the discouragement of their ancient literature, and that any other appropriation of the funds given for its support was a breach of faith which would be attended by the worst consequences. Nothing of the kind however took place; if there were any remonstrances, they proceeded immediately and solely from those interested in the pecuniary part of the measure, with whom the body of the people had no sympathy. But while steadily pursuing the course he had laid down, he declared that no establishment for education should be abolished, so long as any desire was apparent in the native population to resort to it for instruction; he objected, however, to continue the payment of stipends to all native students, considering that, if they really desired knowledge, they would be glad to receive it in the institutions which were open to them without cost. Vacancies in the professorships of the ancient languages were not filled up, unless it could be clearly shown that the state of the vacant classes warranted the further expenditure of the Government funds. Thus a check to Arabic and Sanscrit was felt at once, which was increased by his Lordship's prohibition of any further expenditure of the public money in reprinting Arabic, Sanscrit and Persian works, after it had reached 16,000l. in nine years, from 1824 to 1833.

We must however in justice state, that the Orientalists had prepared a scheme for the introduction of European classical and scientific learning into India. They could not overlook its necessity to meet the growing intellectual demands of the people; and while small English classes were introduced into some of the colleges, the grand aim of the Education. Committee was to impart European knowledge through the learned languages only. Some of the members of the Education Committee set to work with zeal and energy upon translations into Arabic and Sanscrit from English, which were prepared at immense cost and labour,-a cost which the funds obtained by some lapsed scholarships enabled them in

part to defray. We will not stop to inquire into this waste of time, labour and money, in translating one foreign language into another; the knowledge thus conveyed was as far removed from the people as ever. But about this time there occurred a change in the views of some of the members of the Education Committee; new ones were admitted who held more liberal opinions; and eventually, as the zeal for translations slackened, Lord William Bentinck put an end to them by a Minute, which directed that all the funds placed by his reforms at the disposal of the Committee should be employed in imparting a knowledge of English literature and science through the medium of the English language. We subjoin the Minute itself, which passed into an act, and afterwards led to such remarkable consequences and discussions.

THE ENGLISH EDUCATION ACT.

"Fort-William General Consultation, 7th March, 1835. "The Governor-General of India in Council has attentively considered the two letters from the Secretary to the Committee, dated the 21st and 22nd January last, and the papers referred to in them.

"1st. His Lordship in Council is of opinion, that the great object of the British Government ought to be the promotion of European literature and science among the natives of India; and that all the funds appropriated for the purposes of education would be best employed on English educa tion alonet.

"2nd. But it is not the intention of his Lordship in Council to abolish any college or school of native learning, while the native population shall appear to be inclined to avail themselves of the advantages which it affords ; and his Lordship in Council directs that all the existing professors and students at all the Institutions under the superintendence of the Committee shall continue to receive their stipends. But his Lordship in Council decidedly objects to the practice which has hitherto prevailed of supporting the students during the period of their education. He conceives that the only effects of such a system can be to give artificial encouragement to branches of learning which, in the natural course of things, would be superseded by more useful studies; and he directs that no stipend shall be given to any student that may hereafter enter at any of these Institutions;

What Committee is referred to, in this and the subsequent paragraphs, will be found explained in the illustrations that follow.

This must be understood with reference to the grand controversy which called forth the Minute, and which referred solely to what should constitute an “advanced education," and what should be the "lingual media" of instruction. That is, whether it should be learned Orientalism, through the media of Sanscrit and Arabic, or European literature and science through the medium of English. The subject of diffusing elementary education through the medium of the vernaculars was not then raised.

and that when any professor of Oriental learning shall vacate his situation, the Committee shall report to the Government the number and state of the class, in order that the Government may be able to decide upon the expediency of appointing a successor.

"3rd. It has come to the knowledge of the Governor-General in Coun. cil, that a large sum has been expended by the Committee on the printing of Oriental works; his Lordship in Council directs that no portion of the funds shall hereafter be so employed.

"4th. His Lordship in Council directs that all the funds which these reforms will leave at the disposal of the Committee be henceforth employed in imparting to the native population a knowledge of English literature and science through the medium of the English language; and his Lordship in Council requests the Committee to submit to Government, with all expe. dition, a plan for the accomplishment of this purpose.

" (A true copy.)

"(Signed) H. T. PRINSEP,
"Secretary to Government."

We do not see that the Orientalists were so much to blame, in following the course they did so long, as many have urged. Men cannot shake off carly-imbibed prejudices in a day, or at the instance of a Minute by a Governor-General: their very prejudices were to be respected, originating as they did in a long and arduous study of languages, the pursuit of which had raised them to eminence, and had led to the correction and the discovery of much of the ancient history of the country, to a more complete knowledge of its laws, and to expositions of the religion, morals, social condition and antiquities of a venerable people. They would have sought to regenerate the society of India through these as the medium of instruction, and they followed up their scheme with an ardour which proved their sincerity. Here, however, our vindication must stop: they were men, for the most part, who stoutly resisted every innovation on existing prejudices; who, instead of seeking the free enlightenment of the people of India, were content that knowledge should rest with a few, leaving to them the task of its dissemination. They could not march with the times, nor see in the enlightenment of its subjects the best safeguard to the Government. Those feelings and that race have in a great measure passed away, and given place to a wider philanthropy: Lord Bentinck's enactments were the direst blows they received, and it has been seen that, with the study of English in Bengal, natives have rapidly attained an intellectual power which commanded, and has ultimately obtained, respect.