The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-04-19 00:00:00

FRIDAY.

After a short discussion upon the third reading of the
Red Bea and Indian Telegraph (No. 2) Bill, the Duke of
itt:11.1.., in calling the attention of the House to a letter
from Lord Ellenborough to the Chainuan and Deputy-
Chainnan of the East India Company, dated the 28th
of April, 1,458, explained that the document in question
was • letter of advice, as it might be called, to the
Directors of the F....5t India Company to rescind the
policy pursued in regard to education since the year
184. The despatch issued in 1.854, on which that
policy was based, recommended grants in aid as the
least aggressive and cheapest iiimle of furthering educa-
tion in India. According to the regulations then laid
-down both missionary and secular schools were supplied
by grants in aid, which wlth the only chance of extend-
ing education without offending the religious prejudices
of the people. lie contradicted the assertion in the
letter, that these grants violated the principle of
neutrality; for the question was not whether the aid at
Government should be extended to missionary schools,
but whether, when Government supported other
schools, missionary schools should be excluded. He
ed that an humble address be presented to Her
Msjety fur copy of the regulations and conditions under
which grants in aid of schools arc afforded by the Govern-
ment of India; also, return of the number of schools
which have received such grants, distinguishing those
which are under native management and those which are
conducted by Europeans; and of the amount of such
grants in each case.
Lord EttcNnulioucit wouldnot make I.imself ancillary
to getting up a debate on Indian education. The letter
in question had never been acted on, or even submitted
to the Court of Directors; it only contained his private
opinion on educational matters in India. His letter,
besides, had refereme only to Berar, not to the whole of
India. .

The Duke of IiARLBOROUGH thollght that WO could
not better enter upon goo I g ivernment in India than
hy extending Christianity. If the principle of neu-
trality were carried out it would be only proscribing the
religion weourselues profeps.
Lord DEMIT explained the steps taken by the Secre-
tary of State fur Isaias to poreriain the present condition
of edmatiun in that coin try since the regulations of
1.854. and how far theca teguiations were connected with
the revolt. and what effect* the grants in aid had pro-
duced. The operation of the policy of ISM had been
very different in different porta, and the probable eauue
of that Was that alarm for their religion had been
excited in the minds of the natives in one place, bat not
in another. A deapatch on this subject had been si nt
to India. The Government of India, in the, despatch,
were ordered to make no alterations in existing practices
without instruction% from home, and were asked for
additional information on that question. Ho would
augge4 to the Duke of Argyll that lie should move for
that document, as it contained all the information on
the subject, instead of the papers stated in the terms of
the [notion. .

The Duke of ARGYLL, in accordance with the gimps.
tion of Lord Derby, wodided his motion, which was
then agreed to.
Their Lordships adjourned oA 30 minutes past 7
o'clock.