The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-05 00:00:00

INDIAN OPINION OF lIAILEYBV.RY

COLLEGE.

The Mail reports the solemnities at the close of the
term of 1854, at the College of Haileybury. The days
of that institution are now drawing to a close. The
chairman stated that "the Government had determined
on ceasing to recruit from this college for the civil ser-
vice of India." The Rev. the principal, in alluding to
the same subject, said, " I do not forget that the
days of the college are numbered. We have but one
course to pursue, to bow to the decision of Govern-
ment, and to take all possible pains that the
last men whom the college sends out shall be so well
prepared as to make it difficult for the new system to
prove itself better." We think it is time that the days
of this institution were! numbered. For the genius and
successful labours of the Principal we entertain the
highest respect. If there could be one shade of gloom on
the prospect of the abolition of this institution, it would
arise from the remembrance that the talents of Mr,
Melville will be no longer employed in the training of
men destined for high office in India. But when we
find the prominence given to oriental studies in a posi-
tion in which they can be cultivated to the least ad-
vantage, when we learn that the precious time of the
young civilian has been wasted in translating Byron's
" Farewell of Napoleon to France" into Sanscrit
verse ; that in the fourth term "the marks of good
proficiency include the greater number of the class
in Sanscrit ;" that Mr. Brown passes in Sanscrit,
Persian, and Hindostanee (the one a dead and the
second a useless language in India) ; and that Mr-
anscrit scho-
lar has added to all this a highly reeesapjeo.ctawrbleft adco-
quaintance with Arabic ; that Mr. Melville is
English
to especial notice by extra translations from
to yr. ink the Court of Di-
nt of
into Sanscrit,—it is time this folly should
not want profound scholars in the lore of the Vedas. and
the Vedantas in our cutcheries. The ties. ere are two
lar geuerally makes a poor magistree- lh
points especially in reference
rectors have led men to entertan doubts of the wisdom
India to them,—
the pertinacity with which they
they risked the tolif ehahvailnfgbactotna
of 200,
attach-
ment of an army 000 men for a saving of
18,000/. a-year—and
have continued to cram the learned language of
confided the hbey Government m e
the Brahmins down the throats of civilians, because
they had. not. the courage to resist the archa3o-
,rientalisra
logical of Dr. Wilson. We have only to
run down the list of prizes given in the last term in that
liege to find
. the strongest reason for congratulating
India that its days are numbered ; and we trust the Pre-
sident of the Board of Control and the Court of Direc-
tors will see the impropriety of adopting any of the ano-
malies of the old system in their new plans—that they
will exclude Sanscrit, Arabic, Teloogoo, Tamil, Persian,
Hindoostanee, Mahrattee, and Bengalee from the Euro-
pean studies of the service ; that they will content
themselves with sending us out accomplished English
gentlemen, and leave the study of the languages of the
country to be pursued in the country itself and enforced
la the local authorities.—Friend of India.

CHRISTIAN BLIND RELIEF SOCIETY.—The members
and friends of this excellent society, established in 1853,
for the purpose of affording relief to those who can give
evidence that they are of the Household of Faitb, and
are deprived of their natural sight, assembled many
hundreds strong on Tuesday evening last, in Church-
street-chapel, Christchurch, Blackfriars-road, for the
purpose of hearing the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon advocate
the claims of this institution. The spacious chapel was
well filled before the rev. gentleman entered the pulpit.
He took for his text the 31st chapter of Jeremiah, verse
8, a subject singularly appropriate for the occasion.
After making a most powerful appeal to the congrega-
tion, a collection was made, and a liberal sum was
1 given at the doors to increase the usefulness of the
isociety.