preme Government, by the Education Committee, by which this immensely important influence may

"With a view, however, of introducing a better educated class of individuals into this office, the Court have directed me to state, that they are of opinion, that some well-considered system should be immediately adopted by Government, for the purpose of securing a regular succession of duly qualified native judicial officers. No peculiar acquirements are at present looked for in a native Judge, beyond general good character, respectability of family, and a competent knowledge of the Persian and Bengalese languages. No liberal or polite education, no legal acquirements, no knowledge even of the general forms and rules of practice, prescribed by the regulations of Government, is generally possessed by any candidate for office, save perhaps in the latter instance by some few individuals, who have been attached to the courts in subordinate situations, as mohurrers, or moonshees, or vakeels, and who are, therefore, well acquainted with the general routine of our proceedings.

"As the readiest mode of improving the present system of nomination, the Court would suggest the appointment of a regular professor, at all the Government Colleges, for the purpose of instructing the native youth in the laws and regulations of government, and for enabling the young men brought up at these institutions to qualify themselves for the judicial and revenue branches of the public service. To each college possessing such a professor, whether, indeed, supported by Government or otherwise, and whether in Calcutta or at any city in the interior, one or two moonsiffships and uncovenanted deputy collectorships might be presented as prizes every year, and these prizes should be bestowed on any native youth, above the age of twenty-five years, who might be found duly qualified, on public examination, for the situation; the name of the successful candidate should then be placed on the records of this court, in order that he might be employed in Bengal or Behar, according to his parentage, directly a vacancy occurred; and in the mean time he should be obliged to

be applied to the development of the mind and morals of our subjects, in the most extensive, effectual, and unobjectionable manner. It is proposed that public examinations should be annually held at each of the great towns in the Bengal and Agra presidencies, by officers appointed to make the circuit of the country for that purpose; that these examinations should be open to all comers, wherever they may have been educated; that those who acquit themselves well should be ranked according to their merit; and that the list so arranged, together with the necessary particulars regarding the branches of knowledge in which each person distinguished himself, should be sent to the neighbouring functionaries, to enable them to fill up from it the situations in their gift which

continue his legal studies at the college, a monthly personal allowance of sixteen or twenty rupees being granted to him by Government for his support. The Court would further recommend that the monthly salaries of the moonsiffs be fixed at 150 rupees. The very important duties now confided to the native Judges undoubtedly renders the adoption of some systematic plan of education for these officers indispensably necessary; and the Court therefore beg to urge that these suggestions may receive the early consideration of Government."

After this, the abolition of the use of Persian was resolved on; and the only real obstacle to the accomplishment of the wishes of the Judges of the Sudder Dewanee was thus removed.

fall vacant. The European officers generally take so little interest in the disposal of their patronage, and are often so much at a loss for qualified candidates, that they would gladly avail themselves of this mode of replenishing the lower grades of the native service. After the young men had once been appointed, their further progress would, of course, depend upon their merits and length of

service.

This plan, it will be observed, rests on a much wider basis than the Government seminaries. It is intended to encourage and reward mental cultivation wherever it exists; and to engage in the service of the country the best talent the country can afford, without any reference to particular places of education. The impulse, therefore, will be communicated to all alike. The boy from a public school will be brought into competition with the boy who has been educated in his father's house. The students from the Government colleges will contend with the young men brought up in the missionary seminaries. The Hindus and Mahommedans will vie with Christians of every denomination. There will be no distinction made, except that of superior merit. The emulation among the young men will extend to the conductors of the seminaries at which they are trained the merits and defects of dif

ferent plans of education will become apparent from the result of the annual examinations, and those which are found to be most successful will be generally adopted. The striking effects produced by literary competition, when much less free than this, and excited by much inferior rewards, will give some idea of what may be expected from a competition which will be open to all classes of our Indian subjects, and will be stimulated by all the influence and patronage of the Indian govern

ment.

But the most decisive proof that the time has arrived for taking up the subject of national education is, that all classes of the community are now ready to co-operate with the Government. A few years ago, the education of the natives was regarded by the Europeans either with aversion or contempt, as they happened to consider it as a dangerous interference with native prejudice, or as a chimerical undertaking unworthy of a man of sense. Now there are few stations at which there are not one or more European officers, who would be glad of an opportunity of aiding the Committee in the prosecution of its plans. The discussions which took place between the advocates of the rival systems, by strongly drawing attention to the question, and, in a manner, forcing people to an

examination of it, greatly contributed to this result. All are now more or less interested and well informed on the subject; and what is of still more importance, all are of one mind about it, and have a settled and well understood plan to pursue. Whatever differences of opinion may linger among retired Indians in England, there are none now in India; or, at Jeast, the adherents of the old system form such an exceedingly small minority, that it is unnecessary to mention them when speaking of the general sense of the European community.

The Missionaries, taking advantage of the prevailing feeling, have established numerous excellent seminaries, at which many thousand native youth are receiving a sound, and in some cases a liberal English education. English, Scotch, Americans, and Germans, concur in availing themselves of the English language as a powerful instrument of native improvement. English priests, lately sent from Rome to take charge of the Roman Catholic Christians of Portuguese and native descent, have had recourse to the same means for enlightening their numerous and degraded flocks. The Portuguese language (another instance of the confusion of tongues which has so long distracted and dissipated the mind of India) has been discarded from the churches and schools: