tions; 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.

"It has come to the knowledge of the Governor General in Council, that a large sum has been expended by the Committee in the printing of Oriental works. His Lordship in Council directs, that no portion of the funds shall hereafter be so employed.

"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 expedition, a plan for the accomplishment of this purpose."

The Secretary hoped he might be allowed to make a few observations on the reply of Government, in consideration of his having been the first to bring the subject of the abandoned publications to the notice of the Society, and to suggest the propriety of its intercession. The warmth with which his proposal had been met by the friends of Oriental literature within and without these walls, and the confidence of some aid from Government for such an object had, he confessed, made him a little sanguine, and had led him to look beyond the sole object of completing the several works actually commenced, to the organization of an Oriental Committee, for extending the benefits of publication to the whole series of classical authors, as had been once intended by the Committee of Instruction ;-to include also the nucleus of Bauddha literature, selected by Mr. HODGSON, and the astronomical works recommended by Mr. WILKINSON. But the pleasing dream had now vanished; the reply of Government was before them, and, though none could witness the issue with greater regret than himself-none could bow more submissively to its decree. There was however a passage in the reply, which raised his hopes and encouraged him to make one more effort in the cause; this was the offer to transfer to any Society the whole of the matter already printed, provided it would engage to complete the works. Considering the light in which they were held by Government, "as a mere accumulation of waste paper," it was hardly liberal to couple the offer with such terms; but still he was prepared to recommend to the Society to accept even these conditions. He had made careful estimates of the expences of completing all the works: the Printers had liberally consented to reduce their rates; the pandits and maulavis had volunteered their gratuitous aid for an object so dear to them; and in short he would venture, from the prospect of sales, and of subscriptions for copies from Europeans and Natives of rank, to guarantee the Society from any risk of involving its funds by the acceptance of the Government offer. The Secretary then moved a resolution, which we give in the altered form in which it was finally adopted. The resolution was seconded by Mr. COLVIN :

"Resolved-That with reference to the 5th paragraph of Mr. Secretary BUSHBY's letter, the Society feels disposed to accept the offer of Government to transfer the printed portion of the several Oriental works now in progress to the Asiatic Society, and it entertains a reasonable hope of being able to complete the whole of them without involving any material charge on its funds; but that the

Society should request the Government to withdraw the exception alluded to the Secretary's letter, and to make over the whole of the publications lately in progress at the Education Press. And that the President be requested to address the Governor General in Council, on the subject."

The proposition, as at first worded, applied the epithet "liberal" to the "offer of Government," and accepted the offer," with the exception of the works reserved." It also bound the Society to complete all the works they took over. In the conversation that ensued, the Secretary stated, that much misapprehension existed as to the amount expended by Government upon Oriental literature. He had ascertained, that in the whole ten years, since the publication of such works was commenced, no more than 60,000 Rupees had been devoted to that object; in fact, it was not so much, for this had been the whole charge for printing, aud included translations of English works into the native languages. All the charges for translating, for care of the depository, &c. must be considered as part of the expenditure on education, with which the Society had no concern. Mr. MACNAGHTEN thought it needless to bind themselves to complete the works, as Government required no such pledge. He would merely express a disposition to complete the publications.

Mr. TURTON asked what works were excepted by Government. The Secretary said, there were two; the Fatáwa Alemgiri, and a Treatise on Spherical Trigonometry, in Arabic.

Sir JOHN P. GRANT thought this did not sufficiently appear, and moved an amendment (seconded by Captain FORBES) to the effect, that Government should be requested to specify what works they intended to except.

Mr. BUSHBY gave his private opinion, that the Society would be permitted to take over the whole, without exception, if they desired it. Mr. TURTON pressed the point. Mr. MACNAGHTEN expressed his opinion, that we should ask for all the unfinished publications. The President thought the proposed reference for further information unnecessary, for they had it before them-the amendment would have the effect of asking for the two works excepted.

After some further conversation, it appearing to be the general wish that Government should be asked to transfer all the unfinished works without exception, Sir J. P. GRANT withdrew his amendment, and the original motion was modified accordingly.

Mr. TURTON wished the word liberal omitted. He could not consider the offer of what the Government looked upon as "mere waste paper," a liberal offer. The term might be misconstrued, and it was disrespectful to use a word that seemed to be introduced by way of irony. This opinion being assented to all round, the word was taken out, and the resolution was put as above, and carried unanimously.

Mr. MACNAGHTEN then proposed that a letter, becoming the dignity of the Society, in terms respectful to Government, abstaining from any bitter reflections, should be written to the Royal Asiatic Society at Home, forwarding copies of the correspondence with Government. This it was incumbent upon them to do in testimony of their zeal for Oriental literature. He moved accordingly

"That a copy of the correspondence be sent to the Royal Asiatic Society, in order to show that this Society has not been deficient in zeal in the cause of Oriental literature, as well as in order to engage the support of that powerful body to the cause which this Society has so strenuously but so unsuccessfully endeavoured to uphold."

The Secretary said, there was another reason for doing so, in the assistance they might hope to obtain from the London Society, in promoting subscriptions for copies of the works; and perhaps also in direct aid of their funds from the Oriental Translation Branch of that Society, which must be interested in the same object. He therefore seconded the resolution.

Mr. TURTON wished, before the resolution was put, to say a few words, explanatory of the grounds on which he supported it, differing as he did in some degree on one point, appearing in the correspondence which had taken place, from those whose views in general he fully adopted, and was most anxious to promote. But thinking the object which they had in view one of the utmost importance, he was desirous that it should not be put upon any assumption of right which could not be maintained, especially when it was to be urged to the home authorities. He alluded to the opinions expressed by some of his friends, that the Government were bound by the act of Parliament to appropriate a certain proportion of the funds devoted to literary purposes to the cultivation of native literature, and the native languages, and had no right to withdraw the sums hitherto appropriated through the Education Committee to that purpose. It appeared to him, that this was a misconception, and he should be sorry to see a right set up which could not be maintained; whilst, on the other hand, he would not ask as a favor that which was founded on right. He held in his hands the words of the clause in the Act of Parliament upon which this question depended, the Act 53 Geo. III. c. 155, s. 43, and with the leave of the Society he would read it.

After reading the clause Mr. TURTON continued,

That, setting aside the question, whether Government were bound to appropriate any funds to this purpose at present, it being extremely doubtful whether there was the surplus out of which the fund were to be provided; it appeared to him that the fair construction of the clause which he had read, was to leave the whole discretion of the application of the fund to the local Government. The legislature pointed out the objects of encouragement. In his judgment, it evidently contemplated both Oriental and European literature: but the extent, the time, and the manner in which the one or the other, or both, should receive such encouragement, was, in his opinion, left to the local Government to determine; and if they thought fit to withdraw from the Society the funds which they had hitherto appropriated to Oriental learning, and to appropriate it to the cultivation of English literature and sciences, which had hitherto been wholly neglected, the Society, in his judgment, had no right to stand up for. He was also of opinion, with regard to the exercise of its patronage, that the Government were correct. The Education Committee doubtless was the proper channel for the distribution of their funds, entertaining the views which the Government now had. This was a private Society, over which they could exercise no controul; whilst the Education Committee were entirely subject to the directions of Government. But at the same time he thought the Society deserving of some consideration, more than at present the Government seemed disposed to accord.

They were embodied many years before the attention of Government was directed by the legislature to these important objects, and they had steadily pursued their purpose, and expended considerable sums, raised by mere private contribution, on Asiatic Literature and subjects connected with it. It was peculiarly within the province of the Society to represent to the home authorities the error,

into which, in the judgment of the Society, the Government had fallen. He was satisfied, that the very object which the Government had in view, and in which he (Mr. TURTON) most cordially concurred-introduction of the English language, literature, and sciences-would be greatly defeated, or at least retarded, by creating an impression, which the withdrawal of these funds would create, that they wished to discourage,—at least, were indifferent to, the literature of the East, and the ancient languages of the country. He wished to see the two objects united, and was satisfied, that English literature would be more readily introduced, by going hand in hand with that to which learned natives were naturally more attached. The latter was peculiarly within the province of the Society to protect and guard. We had assumed a trust which we must not betray, and when we saw the interests of that literature of which we were the voluntary guardians injuriously affected, and, as we thought, injudiciously attacked, it was our duty not to slumber at the post which we had taken upon ourselves to watch and to defend.

Mr. PRINSEP agreed in much that had fallen from his friend who had just spoken; but Mr. TURTON, not having been present at the last meeting, had mistaken the views of the Society: they had never insisted on an exclusive application of the Parliamentary vote to Oriental literature. But it was impossible to construe the words "revival of literature" otherwise than as intended to embrace Oriental literature-the only literature that could be revived. There was another clause perhaps more important still, providing for English science; the Society's business was only with the first. The withdrawing of the minute fraction of the fund devoted to this object, which he must attribute to the Education Committee, was an insult to the natives of India. The laws of the country, as well as its theology and history, were in those languages, and in those books which it was now attempted to suppress. It was not unlikely that the natives might be stimulated by this proceeding to do themselves what it was our duty as their guardians to do for them; but the reputation of the British Government would suffer. Civilization and general information would never be spread through this vast country by English education. Did ever a Government succeed in so wild a project as to change the language of the country? Russia has set us a very different example: she is making rapid strides in civilization by translations into her own language. There was indeed one notable instance in the attempt of Christophe, the late Emperor of Haiti, to extinguish the French idiom, and introduce English in its place-and his mad experiment and himself had fallen together. The literature of the West must be transferred into the native languages, and the first step towards this must be the cultivation and improvement of those languages themselves. He believed Mr. TURTON's opinions were in accordance with his own ; but he wished to go further than the proposition before them, and should therefore follow it up with a motion for a Memorial to the Authorities at Home.

Mr. TURTON explained.

Mr. COLVIN was grateful for Mr. TURTON's clear exposition of the point of law, but did not see the object of the present discussion. The question before them regarded an address to the Royal Asiatic Society, which had his cordial support. But Mr. PRINSEP's attack in a censorial tone and language not over measured, had been directed against another body, which had no representatives or defenders in this place. The question to which he had referred was one of the highest im

YY

portance, and all parties would unite, for the sake of that truth which was their common object, in desiring to see it become a subject of general interest and discussion. But this was not the scene which Mr. PRINSEP should have chosen for any criticisms on the proceedings of the Education Committee. "Cur in theatrum Cato severe venisti ?" The debate here was totally out of place and character. Mr. TURTON had said, that it was proper to pay respect and attention to Native feeling: who ever held a contrary opinion? It was not he alone who said it-non meus hic sermo,-but there was the declaration of Government in the Resolution of the 7th March, that while the Natives themselves desired it, Instruction in Oriental Learning would be continued. Were Gentlemen to carry their patronage of that course of tuition beyond even the wishes of the Natives? It seemed to him that there remained but little ground of difference between them. It had happened in this as in other cases,

"When hot dispute had past

They found their tenets much the same at last."

He would readily support Mr. MACNAGHTEN's resolution-which was then put and carried unanimously.

Mr. PRINSEP, after a few words of preface, moved the appointment of a Committee to Memorialize the Court of Directors and Board of Control. An amendment was proposed by Mr. W. GRANT, who would modify the wording of the resolution to secure unanimity. He wished to disconnect the proceedings from the disputes to which the allusion had been made, which the Society need not notice. This drew forth some remarks from Sir EDWARD RYAN, who expressed his full concurrence in the object aimed at, but objected to certain expressions in Mr. PRINSEP's motion, as conveying a censure upon the Government, and a declaration on the legal point. His desire was to adopt the most conciliatory and most effectual means of attaining the end.

Mr. COLVIN Would agree to Mr. W. GRANT's amendment, and hoped the members would come to an unanimous vote on this question, as they had done on the others. There would thus be an end to the unnecessary discussions which here and elsewhere had been carried on usque ad nauseam.

Mr. TURTON also liked unanimity, but would not seek it at too great a sacrifice he would not blink the question. We must tell the Government at home, why we go to them. Mr. CoLVIN'S unanimity was good in its way, but for himself he liked consistency. "In another place (says Mr. COLVIN), I am decidedly of a different opinion, but let us be unanimous here." This sort of consistency he did not understand. There were societies at home which supported Scotch literature, Welch literature, Irish literature; and why should we consider the ancient literature of India less dear to the natives of this country? To proceed as the Government are doing is to make them think we have only our own interested objects in view.

Mr. COLVIN explained. He had ever been a friend to all descriptions of literary pursuit, and he was a friend to Oriental literature, and could support it as a member of this Society, without compromising his opinions regarding the best plan for the education of youth, a subject of which it was quite beyond the province of the Society to take any cognizance.

The amendment was then re-modelled, and being re-moved by Mr. W. GRANT, and seconded by Mr. TURTON, was unanimously adopted as follows: