education, as we can confidently recommend for general introduction into schools and school libraries. In making the selection, we shall endeavour to be guided by the principle of universal utility. As regards the subjectmatter of the books, there will be no exclusive system. Works in every department of knowledge, whether religious, literary, or scientific, that are really good, useful, and adapted to the circumstances of Indian youth, will be freely admitted, and nothing will be summarily rejected except what is bad, or, in other words, what is of a corrupting tendency in morals, or of an erroneous tendency in science. It must not, however, be understood that we pledge ourselves to admit all the works on any particular subject that may fall under the general denomination of "good." No such thing. It is in reference to the various departments of knowledge that universality may be predicated of our design: as regards the various works that treat of any one branch separately, it is based essentially on the principle of selection. Amongst many books on the same subject, all of which in a certain sense may be pronounced " good," our object will be to select such as on the whole appear in our judgment to be best adapted to the purposes of a sound and enlightened education. Thus, on the subject of geography, one might name a dozen books, which possess redeeming qualities enough to entitle them to the general appellation of "good:" but, instead of recommending the dozen, our plan would be to select and name as many of the best, one, two, or three, as would be amply sufficient for a comprehensive course of study and so with every other department of useful knowledge. The list will also point out the prices of the books, maps, &c. and the places where they are to be procured; and it will be of importance to remember, that it will never contain any thing which is not actually procurable at the time. It will of course vary with the supplies of books, and the arrival of a ship from England or America may enable us to present a flourishing list on the 1st of one month, which by the 1st of the next month, owing to the rapid sale which such books now meet with, may dwindle down to our ordinary Indian stock. At the same time, it is proper to state, that when once a book is ascertained, from a rapid and extensive sale, to be popular and useful, our determination is to ensure a full and regular supply in future, either by commissioning the work direct from England or America, or by ordering it to be reprinted at one or other of the Indian presses. Maps, globes, and every kind of instrument which is subservient to sound education will find a place in our list, when they are to be obtained at prices sufficiently moderate to admit of our recommending them to the public. Our object being thus distinctly explained, we trust that no one will be uncandid enough to misconstrue our motives. We cast no reflections on the labours of any man, or body of men, so far as these are productive of real benefit to this benighted land. A new state of things having arisen, promising a rich and glorious harvest, while the number of labourers continues almost beyond the reach of calculation disproportionate, it has appeared to us desirable, if not nacessary, to resort to new and more effective measures for cherishing, directing and propelling the educationary spirit that has been so generally awakened. One of these measures we have now described; and we hope, with God's blessing, conscientiously to carry it into effect, until others, more competent to the task than we profess ourselves to be, enter the field, and by their superior exertions wholly absorb ours. On the 1st of July next the first catalogue of books, &c. will appear in the public journals of this presidency. ALEXANDER Duff, Calcutta, 9th June, 1834. This short address, which doubtlessly will be hailed with unmingled joy by the residents at all country stations, has been not unfavourably received by the more influential part of the Calcutta Press. The Hurkaru frankly admitted "the zeal and perfect purity of intention" that actuated those who signed it. The India Gazette felt disposed to await the practical working of the scheme. The Englishman defended its authors from the insinuations of the ill-natured and jealous. The Courier alone thought proper to throw aside his wonted decorum, and for once revel in the full indulgence of perfect freedom from the restraints of courtesy, good-feeling, and good-sense. Such an ebullition from such a quarter was as unexpected as it appeared to every one unaccountable. Indeed, so contrary to the gentlemanly feeling and moderate spirit that usually preside at the helm of the Courier did this effusion appear, that the public were ready, with one unanimous shout, to cry out, "This cannot be from the pen of the Editor." Surely, thought every one, something must have befallen the Editor, and in his absence, some stray fiery spirit must have crept in and poured forth its ire into the editorial columns. Be this as it may, we rejoice to think that out of evil has been produced good. The Courier's remarks are as follows: "Our readers will be surprised as we are with an announcement under the joint names of A. Duff, C. E. Trevelyan, and W. H. Pearce, which appears in another part of this paper. Though we have often had occasion to admire the eccentric flights of the Acting Political Secretary, we were by no means prepared to see him engage in such a business, or in such a partnership. How he is to find leisure from official duty to perform-even in the most superficial manner-the important and voluminous functions he is now assuming, is more than we can comprehend? In all likelihood, however, they will be as short-lived as his Mirror of Indian Parliament. The public will look with disfavor, and even with distrust at a self-installed Committee of Public Instruction, that arrogantly assumes to direct the public taste and regulate the public morals-to stamp one work with the mark of error, and another with the brand of immorality according to the measure of its own infallible judgment, and to re-establish, upon its own private authority, the antiquated office of licenser, that has been so wisely discarded. If those entrusted with the business of elementary education in the mofussil be as ignorant as this triumvirate of the spelling-book would have us believe, it is high time they take to some other trade and as to the educated classes, they will no doubt be presumptuous enough to read and judge for themselves; or, if advertisements be wanting, we beg to recommend our own columns, though not exclusively, and even to solicit the custom of the new firm in that line for all the new editions with which the public is to be supplied by its exertions." The Englishman stepped forward, and defended the gentlemen who signed the address in these handsome terms: "The Courier sneers at Mr. Trevelyan's junction with the Reverends A. Duff and W. H. Pearce in the labour of general education, more particu larly with reference to their recent declaration of an intention to publish occasional lists of such books as may appear to them best adapted to the purposes of general instruction. The Courier, profoundly versed itself in the business of education, thinks it presumptuous-arrogant-and so forth -in any men to take the trouble of separating the wheat from the chaff of elementary literature-and in the fury of its zeal for the interests of government twits the Acting Political Secretary' with a want of the necessary leisure for the indulgence of such eccentric flights.' On the lat ter point, it is not necessary to say much. Sir John Malcolm has well observed, that those men who have had most official duty to perform are those who have rendered, in their leisure, the most essential service to AngloIndian literature-and there are few persons who will be bold enough to deny that Sir John was right. Moreover, a government that can afford to give its Hindu servants thirty-four holidays per annum, besides the fifty. two of the Christian sabbath, can well spare its Political Secretary the time he may apply to so excellent a purpose as the promotion of general education -a purpose, be it remembered, in which the cause of good government is so essentially involved. Mr. Trevelyan, therefore, may indulge in his "flights" without any serious compromise of his duty to the authorities who employ him. "On the arrogant assumption' of the parties who promise to publish a catalogue of books, it may be as well to say a word. Mr. Duff, one of the parties, is, it is well known, a minister of great talents and extensive reading, and has been the most successful school-master that ever came to India. Mr. Pearce, who is the Superintendent of the Baptist Mission Press, is likewise Superintendent of the different Mission Schools for the natives, and may well claim a right to determine, from the successful results of his own practice, the probable results of similar practice with similar instruments in the mofussil. Mr. Trevelyan is an accomplished gentleman, of whose reading and general abilities the columns of the Courier itself furnished sufficient evidence last year, to render any particular mention of him unnecessary. These gentlemen, thus gifted, have come to the conclusion, that the Europeans in the interior, who have not bestowed much attention upon the art of education, are very probably unacquainted with those particular works, useful only in schools, which have been found by experienced teachers to be the most effective in imparting instruction to youth; and to guard such Europeans against the perplexity attending the determination of a choice amidst the multitude of catalogues, they come forward with a promise to exhibit each month the fruits of their particular inquiry. Insufferable presumption ! Odious arrogance! Really the civilians, chaplains, &c. in the interior ought to be monstrously outrageous to find that they are held ignorant of the relative and comparative merits of Mavor and Vyse, Guy and Goldsmith. The Courier's reply: "On reading an article in the Englishman of this morning, we asked ourselves" whence this ardent knight-errantry of our brother in defence of talents that have never been impugned? Why should our contemporary think it incumbent upon him to remind us that 'Mr. Trevelyan is an accom. plished gentleman, of whose reading and general abilities the columns of the Courier itself furnished sufficient evidence last year;' that Mr. Duff is a minister of great talents and extensive reading, and has been the most successful school-master that ever came to India;' that Mr. Pearce is Superintendent of the different Mission Schools for the Natives, as well as Superintendent of the Baptist Mission Press?' We attacked not persons, but principles: we did not question the individual merits of the trio, but the purposes of the holy alliance they proclaimed. The respective talents and avocations of the three gentlemen are as well known in society as their names. But it is also well known to every body, that Mr. Trevelyan is now a Member of a Government Committee, established for the very pur pose of promoting Native Education, and provided with funds for the pur. • This statement is not literally correct-the argument however is left untouched by the error. Mr. P. is now too much engaged in other duties to act as superintendent of Native Schools. He was however for several years a Secretary of the Calcutta School Society, which had at that time 92 Native Schools under its patronage-and must therefore bring with him some considerable share of knowledge and experience, to qualify him for the trust he has now undertaken.-ED. chase or printing of such books as may be deemed useful to the object; and it was a very natural inference, that so zealous a Member of that Committee would have employed all his energies in concert with his associates, where they were likely to be most extensively useful; instead of forming a new private, and, under the circumstances, suspicious looking alliance, to direct the course of instruction throughout India, according to his and their par ticular notions of the books most proper for schools. If Mr. Duff and Mr. Pearce were separately or jointly to put forth their lists of school books, there would be nothing arrogant in it. People would look at the thingeven those who might not approve the selection made-with the same kind of respect as they regard the individual exertions of a zealous Missionary; and no doubt very many persons would readily submit to the judgment of either of those gentlemen. But, when we see them associated with a public functionary, putting their names to a proclamation bearing the pompous title of an Address to the Friends of Education in India,' it is quite a different thing. An air of authority is here assumed, a censorial dictatorship of school instruction; and we at once perceive the undue influence likely to be produced, and the danger of abuses of various kinds; and it is our duty to give the public immediate warning thereof. Can any one avoid coming to the same conclusion with ourselves, after attentively reading the following passage e? The italics are in the original : "It is proposed to publish on the 1st of every month a selected list of such books, maps, and other means and appliances of education as we can confidently recommend for general introduction into schools and school libraries. In making the selection, we shall endeavour to be guided by the principle of universal utility. As regards the subject-matter of the books, there will be no exclusive system. Works in every department of knowledge, whe ther religious, literary, or scientific, that are really good, useful, and adapted to the circumstances of Indian youth, will be freely admitted, and nothing will be summarily rejected except what is bad, or in other words, what is of a corrupting tendency in morals, or of an erroneous tendency in science. It must not, however, be understood, that we pledge ourselves to admit all the works on any particular subject that may fall under the general deno mination of good.' No such thing. It is in reference to the various departments of knowledge that universality may be predicated of our design; as regards the various works that treat of any one branch separately, it is based essentially on the principle of selection. Amongst many books on the same subject, all of which in a certain sense may be pronounced 'good,' our object will be to select such as, on the whole, appear in our judgment to be best adapted to the purposes of a sound and enlightened education." "The Englishman has a funny way of getting over the objection of the Acting Secretary's official duties A government that can afford to give its Hindu servants thirty-four holidays per annum, besides the fifty-two of the Christian sabbath, can well spare its Political Secretary the time he may apply to so excellent a purpose as the promotion of general education-a purpose, be it remembered, in which the cause of good government is so essentially involved. Mr. Trevelyan, therefore, may indulge in his flights' without any serious compromise of his duty to the authorities who employ him." "Of course, if the Governor General shall consider Mr. Trevelyan the fittest man to promote and superintend the education of the Natives, he may appoint him Minister of Public Instruction: but is it not customary for a public officer to wait till he is gazetted, before he assumes the duties of the office to which he aspires?" In opposition to the opinion that the new scheme was uncalled for, a correspondent of the India Gazette, under the signature of "FAIR PLAY," demonstrated that no existing institution was calculated to meet the demands of the country-and that consequently, there was an absolute necessity for some such remedial plan as that proposed in the" short Address." To the Editor of the India Gazette. Sir,-In your paper of this day's date, in noticing the address of Messrs. Duff, Trevelyan, and Pearce, you inquire, "Is not the object which these gentlemen have in view included in those of the Committee of Public Instruction and the School Book Society?" As it is likely that many others may conclude with you that this is the case, I beg to furnish you with the following facts, which, coming as they have to my own knowledge, prove that it is not, and that some effort resembling that proposed by the gentlemen above named is absolutely needed, in order to give effect to the bene volent views of the friends of education in the mofussil. From such stations, the following may be regarded as a specimen of orders for school books, when sent from the conductor of a Regimental School. 1. 48 English Instructor, Nos. 1 and 2, 14. A selection of reward books with pictures, from the Tract Society. 15. A Geography, for beginners, containing much about India. 16. Grund's Astronomy, with plates. Now, suppose this order were to be addressed to the Secretary of the Education Committee, his reply would be: "I regret to inform you that only two kinds of the books you have ordered have been published by the Committee of Public Instruction, and that with these the Committee supplies only its own schools. I beg leave, therefore, to return your order unexecuted." After some time, say five or six weeks, this reply reaches the distant station from which it was despatched, and in the meanwhile the disappointed writer, having heard that the School Book Society supplies many stations up the country, addresses a second letter to its Secretary, and receives the following reply: "The books marked Nos. 2, 3, 4, 8, and 12, are the publications of our Society, and I have great pleasure in sending the number of each you have ordered. The others being not in our catalogue, and several being religi ous books, which it is not the object of this institution to supply, I regret I cannot forward." After another long interval from the time of dispatching the order, this discouraging answer is received. In hopes of further success at last, he writes to a book-seller, ordering of him the publications not yet supplied. The book-seller writes him in reply as follows: "I have the pleasure of informing you that I have procured and shall dispatch by the first opportunity the Bibles, Testaments, and slates, marked respectively Nos. 10, 11 and 13. I regret, however, to inform you, that after some inquiry, we cannot ascertain where the other works you have ordered are procurable." After another six weeks' delay are his hopes thus disappointed, and though the books above mentioned, which he cannot procure, are peculiar |