MANUAL OF THE nIlAOIRI niSTRICT. 431 



Committee was formed, with Bishop Dealtry as Patron, and the CHAP. XXV. 

 Honorable Walter Elliot as President, Mr. E. W. Bird being educational 



Provisional Secretary. In a despatch, dated March 1859, the 



Secretaiy of State concurred in the view of the Government of 

 India that " the best way to give effect to Sir Henry Lawrence^s 

 wishes, and to accomplish surely and satisfactorily his wise 

 purposes, will be to take both the Mount Aboo and the Nilagiri 

 School into the charge of Government as has been done in the 

 Sunawar School'^ When making this proposal the Governor- 

 General had added — 



" If this be thought too large a measure, I would advise that the 

 Mount Aboo School be left under its present management, aided by a 

 liberal subscription from Government, and that for the Nilgiri School 

 a sum not less than the total of all donations received from the public 

 be awarded for its establishment, and a subscription of Rupees 10,000 

 per annum for its maintenance, upon the understanding that the 

 main rules in force at Sunawar shall be observed." 



The Madras Government referred the despatch to the Com- 

 mittee for report, and subsequently pointed out that "the Govern- 

 ment could not recommend that the charge of the asylum should 

 be assumed unless the Committee were prepared to consent to 

 equal hberty in respect to religious instruction being allowed to 

 all classes of Protestants and Roman Catholics/'' The Committee, 

 however, considered themselves bound to abide by the funda- 

 mental rule laid down by Sir H. Lawrence regarding religious 

 instruction, and declined to transfer the asylum to Government 

 except "on the distinct understanding that the principles on 

 ■which the institution was founded be adhered to in their integrity 

 after it has been adopted by the State.'^ By this time (June 1859) 

 the asylum had been opened some months. The Stonehouse 

 property valued at Rupees 22,600 having been purchased, 40 boys 

 and 2 girls had been admitted ; 30 were already in the institution. 

 The Committee had admitted children of the military class in 

 Ootacamand as day-scholars. They at this time had secured the 

 following subscriptions : — 



Besides these sums they expected to receive 20,000 rupees 

 from the " London Lawrence Memorial Fund,"' and other sums 

 aggregating 6,500 rupees. 



The scheme of the constitution was settled in detail. Sub- 

 scribers had the right of nomination. A.n appeal at the same time 

 was issued on behalf of the female branch. 



