Star.
London, England, 1821-09-27 00:00:00

%.

He (Mr. Hume) when he enforced the necessity of
the Company! adopting Dr. Gilchrist's plan of teach-
ing the Hindostanee to all their servants going out to
India, by no meanglifished to damp the study of the,
higher oriental languages, which might be considered
more as branches of accomplishment, than as acquire-
ments of immediate practical utility. These would
always find students and admirers, as classical learn-'
ing uniformly did: all he meant was, that the study
of the colloquial language in common use should be
deemed an indispensable acquisition, and he intended
to have submitted a motion on the subject; he would
however, for the present, merely suggest the subject
to the reconsideration of the Court of Directors, in
the confident hope that they would see the evident
utility of adopting his suggestion. From the year
1793 to. the year 1812, when their charter was re-
mewed, there had been 4,728 Cadets sent ant to India,
and 592 Assistant-Surgeons. In the year 1813,
5,467 Cadets were all that remained in Bombay and
Madras ; and had Dr. Gilchrist's plan been then more
generally adopted, they might have reckoned on the
whole number he had alluded to fully understanding
the native languages. How was it in the present
year? . Of 496 sent out to India, only 55 had been
educated at their College; fortunately, however, in
the year 1819, 165 had been educated by Dr. Gil-
christ, at an expense of £2OO, being equal in propor-
tion to twice the number, whose education had pre-
viously cost £20,000. In 1820 he bad educated 228,
and in 1821, 226—a1l valuable to the Company's
service, proportion to their power of discharging
their duties with more efficiency and satisfaction, ac-
cording to their knowledge of the people among
whom they had to live. It was the want of so ne-.1
cessary an acqui:sment which made the admission of
strangers into India objectionable: let them merely
qualify themselves to commune with the inhabitants
by a knowledge of their language, and then lie for
one saw no danger in their residence in India. Many
of the evils which arose from the misconduct of Eu-
ropeans, and the vain consequence assumed by them
among the natives, would have been obviated, if the
parties could have better communicated with each
other. When it was considered that previous to going
out to India an ateendanceolor two months upon Dr.
Gilehiist would obtain the necessary elemental y
knowledge, it was surprising that so valuable an op-
portunity should be disregarded. The only objec-
tion lie had ever heard was, that it would expose in-
experienced youths to the danger of a two months'
residence, terhaps at a distance from their families,
in such a metropolis As this. It was asked, Would
you expose a boy, in his raw state, one just caught—
suppose from Scotland—(.4lnugh)—to all the allure.
relents of London? To this lie would reply, that he
thought the advantages greatly outweighed the risk,
and he saw no peat harm even from the knowledge
of the would which, independent of the professional
education, was to be acquired by such a domicile.
Lt them bear in mind the cheapne,soi the proposed
education. compared with the expense of £50,000,
which they had previously, on a much smaller scale,
obtained, and then reflect on what was due to
Gikluia's labours.

Mr. LOWNDES (who had just entered the Court)—
" 1.50,(X;0 for what education?"
Mr. E—" For education in some of the Indian
lan,t ag es."
Mr. LowsoLs—" An Asiatic and luxuriant price
fur educatiou, indeed."

Nlr. Hume said, that his objection was not so much
to the sum expeuded, as to the system upon which it
was applied.
Mr. It. JAcKsos expressed I:is entire concurrence
in everything which had fallen from his Honourable
Friend resi•Qcting the merits of Dr. Gilchrist, whose
services he highly extolled, and the value of which
to the Company's servants in India he thought of the
most paramount importance.
The CHAIRMAN said, in explanation, that both at
Addicombe and Hayleybury there were Professors
of Ilindostanee, so dirt that particularlangnage was
by no means, as the Honourable Gentleman who
spoke immediately before the last supposed, neglected
in the collegiate education of their ()dicers. To
strew that both their military and civil servants were
required to study Ilindostanee, he referred to a com-
plimentary expression used by the Marquis of Has-
tings, in a speech he made at the College of Fort
'William, in the year 1819, when be alluded to the
education of the students who came out from_ Hay-
leybury, and pointed out Mr. Lindsay, who was at
the head of the Persian class, and fourth scholar in
Hindustanee. The Chairman then admitted in the
fullest term‘ the merits of Dr. Gilchrist, to whose
pension of .00 a-year the present Resolution would
add 050 more; but said that various opinions were
held upon the propriety of the general requisition,
for compelling all the young men to reside in Lon-
don two months, before they were sent to their ulti-
mate .lestination.

Mr. litany also spoke upon the value of a system
of education which diffused a knowledge of the na-
tive languages among the Company's servants.
After a few explanations from the preceding
speakers, the Resolution respecting Dr. Gilchrist was
put and unanimously agreed to.
The next Resolution submitted was for a sum of
£2,000 to be granted to John Ilindo Pelli, of the
Bombay Civil Establishment, as a compensation for
looses sustained by him in furnishing the Company
with hempen ropes, in January, 1818.
Mr. HUME would not at present object to this
grant, because he did not know upon what grounds
the claim was made; but he thought it a bad prac-
tice, and one which ought to Le put a stop to, to
permit the Company's servants to enter into contracts.
Mr. RIGBY opposed this Resolution.
Mr. JACKSOX said he should reserve his observa-
tions until the next consideration of this question.
The Resolution was put and carried.
I•Ir. RICBT then gave notice, that he would, at the
next quarterly Meeting, move that the fine imposed
upon Mr. Hornblower, for not performing his con-
tract within a specified time, be remitted.—The Ho-
nourable Member moved, that there be laid before
the next Court of Proprietors the Memorial of Mr.
Ilornblower, and all the papers relative to, the trans-
action.—This motion was put and negatived.
Mr. Rioav—., Then I must say, a Court of Pro-
prietors has refused to produce papers upon a sub-
ject of the highest importance.
When the motion was put, there was not a dozen
proprietor; present.—Adjourned at four o'clock.