Mr. ARBUTHNOT submits a letter from the principal of the "Normal School," reporting on the progress of that seminary during the official year 1856-57. 2. This useful institution, the Government observe, formed the subject of the Director's letter dated 27th November last, which was reviewed in extract Minutes Consultation, No. 26, the 8th January last. On that occasion, at the recommendation of Mr. Arbuthnot, a series of changes in the establishment, involving an entire remodelling of the same, was sanctioned by Government. The school, it is remarked, has hardly completed its first year of existence. During this short period the results exhibited, the Government consider, are in the highest degree satisfactory. As years go on, the amount of good to the general spread of education in the provinces likely to be effected by this seminary under its present able principal, is incalculable. 3. Two suggestions have been made by Mr. Fowler, in view to the further efficiency of the school. 1st. That supplementary to the normal class, there shall be a preparatory class, whose whole attention shall be given to receiving instruction, until drafted, as vacancies occur, into the higher class. The formation of this intermediate class has suggested itself to the principal, as a remedy in some measure for the present deficiency among the candidates for the normal class, of a sound preliminary education. 4. The pupils in this preparatory class, it is proposed, shall be 25 in number, No. 54. II. Madras. and entertained at a stipend of four rupees a month. The assistant training master having arrived from England, a proper instructor is available. The additional expense (100 rupees per mensem) the Director proposes to defray out 31 January 1856, of the allowance (500 rupees) sanctioned for Normal Scholarships, to the credit of which fund 150 rupees a month is still remaining. No. 102. 8 January 1857, 5. This proposition meets with the approval of Government, and the Director is authorised to make the necessary arrangements accordingly. 6. The second proposal is, the formation of a normal class of vernacular teachers. Of the usefulness of such a class, under competent instruction, there can be no question, and its organisation was only objected to by Government on the score that the modicum of education proposed in the scheme as a title to admittance thereto was of a very slight description, and, further, that it was to be doubted whether Mr. Joyes, though a teacher of very respectable acquirements, was sufficiently skilled in training lads for schoolmasters, as to be able to conduct the class satisfactorily. 7. The latter objection still remains, but the former has been obviated by a change in the rules. On the whole, as the immediate institution of a class of vernacular teachers is very earnestly pressed, and as the want it is designed to supply is very palpably evident, the Government will not press the objection they made in regard to the inefficiency, as a trained teacher, of Mr. Joyes, but will allow the Director to give instructions for the formation of the class; the expenditure, 36 rupees per mensem, or 12 scholars at three rupees each, being met, as suggested, out of the scholarships fund, reserved for the town of Madras. (signed) E. Maltby, Acting Chief Secretary. PAPERS referred to in Madras Public (Educational) Despatch, dated 6 October 1858, No. 5, paras. 18 and 19. EXTRACT Public Letter from Fort St. George, dated July 1857. In Dy. to Con. 23 Oct. 1855, Nos. 27 and 28. Para. 18. In his letter of the 26th January 1856, the Director of Public Instruction reported to us the various steps he had taken, and the further arrangements which he proposed for the the provision of suitable vernacular school books in the different languages of the country. 20 Nov. 27 Nov. 18 Dec. دو Nos. 47 and 48. 19. Vernacular school books are divided by Mr. Arbuthnot into three classes; those which are intended for introduction into-1st, Anglo-vernacular schools in which English is the chief medium of instruction. 2d, Talook schools where the substantive instruction is in the vernacular; and 3d, Village schools in which vernacular works of a still more elementary character are required. 20. In supplying the existing want of a superior class of books in the Tamil language, the Director has secured the assistance of two gentlemen, who were understood to be excellent Tamil scholars and of experience in education, the Rev. Mr. G. U. Pope, and the Rev. Mr. Bower. These gentlemen had undertaken, the former, to compile a poetical anthology, containing extracts of a valuable nature from the best Tamil poets; and the latter, a prose anthology in the same language, composed for the most part of original matter, and embracing a variety of subjects and styles. 21. Mr. Pope had also undertaken to supply a graduated series of Tamil grammars, which would be adapted for use in every class of school, and to superintend, with the assistance of T. Vencatacharry, an assistant inspector, the preparation of works in geography, history, arithmetic, and the elements of science, upon some of which he had already commenced. 22. The 22. The above works would be available as class books for the Anglo-vernacular and talook schools, and for the Tamil village schools; the Director enumerated a few elementary works already published, which, with the addition of the prose anthology, he considered fully adequate for their present requirements. 23. With respect to Malayalum, the services of Dr. Gundert, of the Cannanore German Mission, and an excellent Malayalum scholar, had been obtained. This gentleman had undertaken to compile a prose and poetical anthology in one volume, which, in the absence of a more complete work, the Director was of opinion would be of great utility; also to revise an abridgment of universal history, and to complete a manual of general and physical geography already commenced. The two superior classes of schools would thus be supplied with suitable works in Malayalum; and the elementary works already published in Tamil could, it was stated, be readily translated into this language for use in the village schools. 24. We entirely approved of the above arrangements for providing vernacular school books in Tamil and Malayalum; they appeared to have been well considered by Mr. Arbuthnot, and to be the best that, under present circumstances, could be adopted. We trusted that he would be equally successful in making arrangements for the compilation of useful school books in Telugu, which we understood were very urgently wanted. 25. The guarantee to Dr. Gundert of 400 rupees for the three works which he had undertaken to compile, was approved by us, and we intimated that we would be prepared to consider favourably the recommendation of the Director, in regard to the degree of remuneration to be given to the Rev. Messrs. Pope and Bower, on the completion of the works on which they were then severally engaged. 26. The proposal of Mr. Moegling, referred to in the opening para. of the Director's letter, which has for its object the advancement of vernacular education in the Canarese tongue, is now before the Government of India with the recommendation of this Government in its favour. 27. With regard to presses for educational purposes, we, in December 1855, authorised the Director of Public Instruction to procure a press from America of the description recommended by him in his letter of the 7th idem. A press already existed at Cuddalore, and it was originally intended that these two presses should be worked, the one at Cuddalore, and the other at Rajahmundry, under the superintendence of the head masters of the provincial schools at those stations. 28. Subsequently, however, Mr. Arbuthnot, saw reason to think that all presses required for the educational department, might be better and more economically worked at the Presidency than in the provinces, and the Government of India, in sanctioning the establishments proposed, inclined to the same opinion. 29. On further consideration, we were also disposed to concur in this view, and believed that the publication of elementary books, and of vernacular school books generally, would be better superintended at one central office at the Presidency, and we accordingly authorised the employment of two presses in the Director's office, at a cost not exceeding the amount sanctioned in the 14th para. of the letter from the Government of India, dated 5th January 1856. 30. Mr. Arbuthnot recommended the immediate removal to his office of the press at present under the charge of the head master at Cuddalore. We thought it highly desirable that Mr. Armour should be relieved of its superintendence as soon as possible, and we understood that Mr. Hall, the Collector of South Arcot, was prepared to take over this press, which he would prefer to an American iron press. Under these circumstances, the better arrangement we conceived would be, to allow Mr. Hall to retain the Cuddalore press, Mr. Arbuthnot being provided, in exchange, with one of the American presses then lately received. As it was not intended in the scheme sanctioned in Minutes of Consultation, dated 21st November 1855, Revenue Department, to allot one of these presses to South Arcot, it would, we observed, be necessary to make over to Mr. Arbuthnot one of those meant for another district. The presses being with the Board of Revenue, they were requested to make over one of them to Mr. Arbuthnot, and informed that we would procure another press from America to supply its place. II. Madras. II. Madras. 31. Pending the arrival of the second educational press from America, the small press at Nursapoor was to continue to be employed in printing elementary books and papers in Telugu, for the use of the vernacular schools in the Rajahmundry District. 32. We adopted the suggestion contained in para. 12 of Mr. Arbuthnot's letter respecting the transfer of Malayalum types from the Government Office to that of the Director. The printing of Acts, &c., in Malayalum would be more expeditiously done under the superintendence of Mr. Arbuthnot as translator, and the whole of the printing in that language has accordingly been made over to him, as he recommended. 33. Referring to para. 26 of this Despatch, we beg to state, that the Rev. Mr. Moegling has since submitted to us a brief outline of a plan for the creation of a library of useful knowledge, primarily in Canarese, and subsequently in the cognate languages of Southern India. His letter was referred to the Director, and we approved Mr. Arbuthnot's proposal to communicate fully with the reverend gentleman on the points which had occurred to him in reference to Mr. Moegling's plan, and after receiving his reply and conferring with the Professor of Vernacular Literature and other Anglo-vernacular scholars, to submit to us a definite exposition of his views on the subject. 34. Mr. Percival having reported favourably on the Tamil works prepared by the Rev. Messrs. Pope and Bower, we authorise the Director to disburse to those gentlemen 950 rupees and 200 rupees respectively, as a remuneration for their labour. No. 27. Home Department, EXTRACT Fort St. George Public Diary to Consultation of 23 October 1855. (No. 1233.) From C. Beadon, Esq., Secretary to the Government of India to J. D. Bourdillon, Sir, I AM directed to forward the accompanying copy of a letter dated the 21st July last, from the Rev. H. Moegling, a missionary in Coorg, proposing to create a vernacular literature among the Canarese and other people of the south of India, with the aid of Government, and to request that the Right Honourable the Governor in Council will favour the Honourable the President in Council with his opinion on the proposition generally. Fort William, 21 September 1855. I have, &c. Secretary to the Government of India. To the Most Noble the Marquis of Dalhousie, Governor General of India. My Lord Marquis, THE sudden but peaceful and happy death, a month ago, at Mangalore, of the Rev. G. Weigle, since 1840 my most intimate friend and most valuable fellow labourer, has, after a period of deep and oppressive sorrow, roused me into the resolution to make some great effort for doing double work during the remainder of my life, in order to finish, if possible, my beloved brother's share of labour also, and insure myself a quick passage over the rest of my journey on earth. In true eastern style, I make bold, though an humble individual, to approach directly the very head of the Indian Empire, and to present my petition to your Lordship, advocating a cause not my own, with that frankness and simplicity which are more welcome to true nobility, than timid bashfulness or studied humility. A new era has commenced for India under your Lordship's rule. My beloved friend and myself had long hoped for the time of the intellectual resurrection of India, and were prepared to take our share in the coming work, when he was called to his rest. Eight months ago I wrote to him, and asked if he was minded to step out of the ordinary walk of missionary labour to join me, if an opening offered for turning our strength to the creation of vernacular literature |