points, the arguments were the same; every sort of hole was endeavoured to be picked in the measure which was then adopted; nay, the parties went furtherthey revived obsolete and refuted calumnies, forty years after the public had lost sight of them, in the ample refutations which had swept them from circulation. Libels were raked up from the contemptuous obscurity in which they had sunk ;-they were dragged into light, but not into effectual notice. This was not the way to meet questions of this nature; a bad argument did not become good by the force of repetition. When they were considering of public life, they should look to it as a whole. They should look to the general character and class of services of the individual, and not stoop to pick holes here and there in a long career of public service. God defend any public man whose claims to posthumous fame were to be tried upon such principles. There were some men, he knew, who could not form any other estimate of public merit: their minds resembled those optical glasses, which distorted every obThe ject that was viewed through them. Hon. Proprietor (Mr. Hume) was of this class: there his mind seemed defective; it fastened upon details, however trivial; he could not help it his mental vision was microscopic,-it was not his fault; for, in the language of Shakespeare :—

(Loud cries of hear! and laughter.) There was no public man, whose services were spread over a long series of years, who could bear that sort of scrutiny. It resembled, in one sense, the ancient ordeal, or rather, mode of indiscriminate punishment, which formerly prevailed in this country. The accused were blindfolded, and compelled to walk amongst red-hot plough-shares: so that their escape was next to impossible. And it was over an ordeal just as absurd and impassable that public character was to pass, according to the test applied this day.-(Hear! hear!) Could any person who entered the Court during this discussion, and heard merely the speeches of the gentlemen opposite, imagine that the late Mr. Grant possessed a single merit? The establishment of Haileybury College was, it seemed, no merit; for that, instead of being intended to promote education in India, was set on foot to prevent the diffusion of the education already provided there !

What

Mr. Grant did before Parliament was, they were told, unnecessary, because a different course was afterwards adopted by the Legislature. It was a little unfortunate for those who used this argument, and referred to Sir Hugh Inglis by way

of contrast, that that excellent person was also in the same way premature in his efforts, eminent as he was in bringing their case before Parliament. But, whatever was said by the gentlemen who opposed this motion, they could not undervalue the mass of evidence, the accumulation of striking facts, which were usefully laid before Parliament and the British empire, chiefly through the instrumentality of the late Mr. Grant;-they ought to recollect that in consequence of the information thus imparted, Sir Thomas Munro had been placed at the head of the Madras Government. At that late hour of the day, he was averse from trespassing much upon their attention. The main grounds, however, upon which his judgment was formed, were these;-first, on the question whether the late Mr. Grant had been sufficiently eminent in their service to deserve posthumous honours; and, secondly, if it were for the interest of the EastIndia Company that such honours should be conferred upon his memory. On both points his own mind was completely made up in the affirmative. He entirely concurred in the opinion, that for a general career of upwards of thirty years of service, in high and important situations, guided by great abilities, conducted with unabated industry, and devoted with unalterable zeal to all the interests of the East-India Company, some special work of respect was due. The long employment of such fine natural gifts, and their application with such uncommon assiduity and labour, entitled the possessor to more than ordinary thanks which were bestowed for the performance of ordinary services. There were many parts of Mr. Grant's public proceedings in which he (Mr. Impey) totally differed from him; but he held that to be no reason for withholding his approbation from the general tenor and advantage of his useful life—(Hear! hear!) Differences of opinion were incidental to human nature;-they were also useful; for by collision of sentiment the collective force of mind was drawn forth. The opinions which Mr. Grant entertained twenty years ago, he held in common with many great and able servants of the Government and the Company. He (Mr. Impey) had no right to call opinions thus supported, errors, although they did not accord with his own; at any rate, he had no right to quarrel with the possessor of them. The principal reason why he should vote for the original motion was this-that he had scarcely ever heard of a more able, industrious, and indefatigable servant of the Company, than Mr. Grant confessedly was his labours were unceasing; and the incalculable benefit which they must have conferred upon the interests of the Company, ought to be felt at this period.

There was a debt due to the memory of such a man, which all who had profited by his labours ought to concur in paying. He thought the motion was particularly well timed for they had often been called upon to vote honours and rewards to those who had served their settlements abroad; but never before had they been called upon to a vote for great services of general superintendance and assistance in that house, ably and unostentatiously performed. He admitted the services of such men as Sir Hugh Inglis and Sir Francis Baring; and thought that if, at the proper time, their merits had been made the foundation of a motion like this, it would probably have been carried. They wanted such men as the late Mr. Grant in that Court. It was said that they had no precedent for such a motion : if such was the fact, therefore, it was time then to make one; and he hoped this would be the occasion. It would be an inducement to gentlemen who resembled Mr. Grant, in qualities, and talents, and industry, to come amongst them with their services. The state of the Company's affairs was now quiescent; they could not however always reckon upon having such halcyon days; they must begin to prepare for the consideration of a vital question; the time was fast approaching when, if they intended to maintain their own prerogatives there, they must merge private feelings and interests in the performance of a great public duty. He was sorry to say, that they too much lost sight of these important considerations. In the elections of their Directors, they were too often governed by self-interest, rather than by a regard for that talent and knowledge which was so essential in critical affairs. He made this remark generally, and without meaning the least application of it to any particular individual; but if they meant to support themselves as a corporate body, they ought, by all means within their reach, to collect great talents, experience, and knowledge, to uphold their course. The life and abilities of the late Mr. Grant had been steadfastly devoted to the maintenance of the Company's proper station, both in India and in Europe. On his general merits, which none could deny, he was entitled to this tribute; and if those merits were not pre-eminent, he knew not whose were. But his (Mr. Impey's) principal motive for voting in favour of the original motion, was, the public benefit-the useful incitement of a distinguished example-which such a tribute attested and involved. (Hear! hear!)

Mr. Plummer would only trouble the Court, at that late hour, with a few observations in support of the original motion. With respect to the subject of it, it had fallen to few men to have had

Το

the opportunity of serving the Company so efficiently as the late Mr. Grant; and he said this without meaning the slightest disparagement to others-few, indeed, had moved in a sphere which admitted of their performance. Was there nothing then in the system of their policy, as a great chartered body, exercising immense authority, to sanction honours, for great civic virtues employed in the diffusion of great commercial advantages? (Hear i hear!) Allusion had been made to the exertions of those great individuals whose statues were erected in that Court. what end did they make those exertions? Was it not to extend the mercantile interests of the Company? Assuredly it was; and it could not be denied, that Mr. Grant's efforts were directed, and most successfully directed, to the same object. Why then should not he also be distinguished with posthumous honours? Did all patriotism-all that was worthy of being handed down to the admiration of posterity-consist in the successful use of the sword and shield? Certainly the memory of that man, who, in a civil capacity, effectually served his country, ought not to pass away unnoticed and unrecorded. (Hear! hear!) He heartily concurred in the grounds of public utility which were interwoven with the adoption of the proposed tribute to the memory of Mr. Grant.

The Hon. D. Kinnaird said, that he came to the Court intending not to vote upon the first question; he had however attended to the whole of the discussion, and to the consideration of the amendment which had arisen out of it, and his opinion remained notwithstanding unaltered. He never more regretted the introduction of any motion, than he did the introduction of the present; because upon the fullest consideration he had been able to give it, he thought it was calculated to create a great deal of unfair, invidious, and unpleasant imputations; which, indeed, had been by the good sense and tempcr of the speakers who took a part in the debate, utterly suppressed, until a gentleman within the bar (Mr. Impey) had aroused them, by charging his Hon. Friend ( Mr. Hume) with introducing the political feelings of party into the consideration of the subject.

Mr. Impey here rose, and begged pardon for interrupting the Hon. Proprietor, while he distinctly disclaimed the intention of casting any such imputation.

The Hon. D. Kinnaird was glad of the explanation; for he certainly had gathered the reverse from the speech of the Learned Gentleman, and particularly that part of it which (as he thought) imputed to others the being influenced on the present occasion, by the recollection of the late Mr. Grant's hostility to the govern

ments of Warren Hastings and Lord Wellesley. He would, for himself and his friends near him, distinctly disclaim being actuated by any such motive. How could the Learned Gentleman insinuate (unless there again he misunderstood him) that his Hon. Friend (Mr. Hume) had gone out of his way to pick holes in the general character of Mr. Grant, and to construct an impassable ordeal for any public character, however generally meritorious? And this was the description which the Learned Gentleman thought proper to give of a speech, as replete with sound argument, as unalloyed with personal feeling or invidious allusion, as any that had been ever delivered in that place, and which was entirely confined to the consideration of the grounds upon which the Hon. Mover of the original proposition had founded it. Whatever opinion might be entertained of the opening speech, and Mr. Hume's reply, there were still two plain questions before the Court. He would address himself to the first: the abstract question of the wisdom of a precedent, conferring a posthumous tribute upon any Director, except for the performance of some special and preeminent service entirely out of the ordinary course of the duties discharged by those usually holding such offices, and which lifted the individual (by his ability, and the concurrence of fortunate circumstances to throw that ability pre-eminently forth) above all competition. Of that pre-eminence he thought they ought to have the most indisputable certainty, before they could receive such a proposition as the present: otherwise, to carry this question, would lead them to the greatest inconvenience. They had already heard of undoubted acts of service performed by Sir Hugh Inglis and Sir Francis Baring. What reason had they to suppose that others, equally meritorious, would not be found if the question were now opened, and the precedent upon ge. neral merits were once begun ?—(Hear! hear!) A hint had already been given to an individual Director present, that he might expect to live in marble.--(A laugh.) He put it seriously to the Hon. Mover, whether, under such circumstances, he would persist in his motion? and whether it would not be wise for him to acquiesce in the amendment? He was perfectly ready to increase the force of any expression of praise in the amendment respecting the late Mr. Grant. He would not vote in the negative upon the question, because he felt that he was not competent (neither was the Court), in the absence of more specific information, to give a decided opinion on Mr. Grant's merits. Neither

could he consent to select one man from a body, whose acts were only known to them collectively, unless he could be made

to appear in that pre-eminent position, which at once suggested to his fellow Directors, that he was so placed by universal assent, and that they had nothing in common with him.-(Hear! hear!) The Learned Gentleman (Mr. Impey) had read the Court of Directors a proper lecture upon the manner of their election; and, perhaps, his efforts might be usefully direeted, if he canvassed the House List, and produced an amendment in that practice. He looked upon this motion as extremely impolitic-as destructive in its conse quences to the harmony of their bodyand as establishing an invidious scale of comparative merits, which must produce dissatisfaction and dissention, heart-burnings and jealousies. In delivering this as his opinion, he conceded the merits of the late Mr. Grant, and was ready to pay any proper tribute to his memory short of the establishment of this precedent. He did not think that a vote taken under the present circumstances would be gratifying to the friends of Mr. Grant; he was ready fully to appreciate the merits of the late Director, and happy to record his sense of them in the manner he had mentioned. All he asked was, that they would not adopt a particular mode of proceeding, which was fraught with peculiar inconvenience. He concluded, by expressing his hope that nothing would be finally settled without more mature consideration. -(Hear! hear!)

Mr. John Smith then replied. He said, that after the long discussion which had taken place, and the able manner in which his motion had been supported, it was his intention only to detain the Court for a few minutes. First, with respect to the terms of the motion, he thought it was couched in plain and simple language, and therefore he felt that it was adapted to the occasion. With respect to the claims of Mr. Grant for such a tribute, he thought them clearly pre-eminent, and on that ground alone did his motion proceed. He hardly thought it fair to meet the claims of such a man with an allusion to possible invidious consequences; whenever merit like his appeared, he thought it ought to be honoured and rewarded.

The motion and amendment were then read by the attendant officer. The question was about to be decided by a show of hands, when a division was called for. Non-proprietors were ordered to withdraw; the Ayes were directed to proceed to the right, the Noes to the left of the chair. Mr. John Smith and Mr. Hume

were appointed tellers. The first question was, "that the words proposed to be left out stand part of the motion," which was carried affirmatively; the Ayes being 54, the Noes 29-leaving a majority of 25 in favour of Mr. Smith's proposition. The main question, namely, "to agree

to the students, of leaving College on proof of their competence for the public service, not merely at the half-yearly examination, but at intermediate periods, necessarily operate to prevent the attainment in College, of that proficiency, which would otherwise be manifested by many of them; but the disposition and ability shewn by such students, to qualify themselves as soon as practicable for the public service, and the steady application necessary to effect that object, may generally be considered to warrant the inference, that they will on leaving College continue, in the intervals of official duty, to prosecute those studies, so successfully commenced within its walls. While the causes to which I have referred continue to operate, we must be content to forego the attainment, and even in a great degree the pursuit, of those high academic honours, with which other periods of our annals are adorned; but the more conspicuous will be the merit of those distinguished students, whose zeal and ardour overcoming circumstances so discouraging, shall enable them to reach distinctions, denied to their less fortunate competitors.

"These observations have been naturally suggested by a consideration of the small number of students who are now to enter on the public service, and by the fact that on this occasion no student has obtained that eminence in the scale of proficiency, which entitles him to hold a disputation, ar to receive a degree of honour. No inference unfavourable to the character of the institution, or to the general ability and assiduity of the students, can, however, justly be drawn from these facts, of which the causes are to be sought exclusively in the increasing and paramount demands of the public service, and the rules framed to meet them. While the College is able to furnish an annual supply of qualified candidates for public employment, bearing such a proportion to the whole number of students as the results of the present year exhibit, it cannot be affirmed with any colour of justice that it has failed in the principal object of its institution.

"I shall now proceed to offer a few observations on the results presented by a review of the transactions of the College, since the period of the last meeting.

"Sixteen students have been examined this year, at the annual examination, of whom three only have been reported qualified by their proficiency in two languages to enter on the public service; but fourteen more have been examined intermediately, at various periods, since the last annual examination, and reported qualified for the public service. The total number of proficients therefore, in two languages, this year is seventeen, which Asiatic Journ.-No. 97.

is five more than were reported qualified the preceding year.

"Of the seventeen students who have qualified themselves this year for the public service, by a competent knowledge of two of the prescribed languages, four have been rewarded by pecuniary prizes for high proficiency in two languages, and one has obtained medals of merit for rapid and considerable proficiency in two languages. The number of medals awarded this year for rapid proficiency and meritorious conduct, has been ten: eleven were awarded last year to the civil students, and four to the military.

"Of the three students now entering upon the public service, Mr. Thomason stands first in the general list of proficiency. He was admitted to the College in December 1822, and in the short period of five months has raised himself to the first place in Persian, and the fourth in Hindoostanee, and has obtained medals of merit for rapid and considerable progress in both of those languages: he has also made some progress in Arabic; and the Persian and Arabic Professor reports, that "he is by far the best scholar of the "present year, and his progress has been "creditable both in Arabic and Persian." He brought with him from Hertford College, some knowledge of Persian and Hindoostanee languages. Mr. Thomason's assiduity, and rapid attainment of the requisite degree of proficiency, entitle him to high commendation.

"Since the late examination, Mr. Thomason has applied for and obtained the permission of Government, to continue his studies in the College till December next, with the view of acquiring a more extensive knowledge of the native languages. The Government willingly granted this permission to Mr. Thomason; and the Governor General in Council will be glad to encourage the disposition to study, manifested by students who, like Mr. Thomason, may have proved by their steady application and acquirements, and regular habits, that they will make a suitable return for the indulgence of remaining in College.

"Mr. Patton, who stands next to Mr. Thomason, was admitted to the College in July 1822, and was reported qualified in the Persian language at a private examination on the 25th of April last. At the present examination he is classed first in the first class of Hindoostanee students, and reported a proficient in that language, and qualified to enter upon the public service.

"Mr. Morris, who was admitted to the College in August 1822, was examined with Mr. Patton, and found qualified in Persian. He is placed third in the first class of Hindoostanee, and reported quali fied for the public service. M

VOL. XVII.