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MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XXV. The Roman Catholics have two schools attached to the church — 

 Educational. ^^^ ^^^ boys^ the other for girls. The Schools are under 



Lawrence 

 Asylums. 

 — history. 



(Tovernment inspection, grants being sought under the Results 

 system. There are about lOU children in attendance. 



The American Mi.ssion also maintains an elementary school for 

 natives, which is under Government inspection. 



At the beginning of 1856 Sir H. Lawrence, k.c.b,, made an 

 offer of a donation of Rupees 5,000 and Rupees 1,000 annually 

 if an institution similar to those established at Sunawar and Mount 

 Aboo were started at some hill-station in this Presidency, provided 

 action was taken within three months. A meeting was held in 

 Ootacamand on 13th February 1856, when it was resolved to accept 

 the offer, and to make strenuous efforts to carry out the project. 

 An address was issued and subscriptions invited. Some difficulty 

 arose on the religious principles to be adopted for the institution. 

 Finally a prospectus for an institution to be called " The Ootaca- 

 mand Asylum for the Orphans and other childi-en of European 

 soldiers in India" was adopted. The proposed asylum was to 

 be constituted on a strictly Protestant basis. The Committee 

 chosen had for its President Bishop Dealtry. By the month of 

 June 3,705 rupees in donations and 335 rupees in yearly subscrip- 

 tions had been subscribed. The Committee sought the aid of 

 Government, and noted that " should it ever be in contemplation 

 to remove the Military Male and Female Asylums to these Hills, 

 the two institutions might, if Government wished, be blended into 

 one." The Government awaited the result of an appeal to the 

 army. The Commander-in-Chief, though not objecting to an 

 appeal, would not himself support it, " unless the children of 

 soldiers of the Roman Catholic and all other Christian professions 

 of Faith " were admitted to participate fully in the benefits of the 

 proposed institution. In October of this year the Committee were 

 told by Government that they had no power to transfer the Madras 

 Asylums, and that their action would depend upon the support 

 the scheme would receive from the army, and the adoption or 

 otherwise of the present rules of the Sundwar Asylum " in their 

 full expression." The proposed deviation from the rules of the 

 model institution resulted in an abandonment of the scheme for 

 a time. The outbreak of the Mutiny also occupied public 

 attention. Sir H. Lawrence in his will recommended the projected 

 school at Ootacamand to the fostering cai-e of the East India 

 Company. In June 1858 the Honorable Court inquired what 

 had been done. This inquiry resulted in the revival of the 

 scheme. A meeting was held at Ootacamand in August 1858, when 

 it was resolved to adopt the Mount Aboo rules for the proposed 

 institution, and to invite subscriptions on this basis. Later a 



