434 MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. XXV. No intimation, however, of the views of the Home Grovernment 

 EDucIm)NAL. "^^^ received until the beginning of 1862. The delay which had 



occurred had been prejudicial to the progress of the institution. 



The knowledge that the Government had agreed to maintain 

 it led to a large falling off in subscriptions, whilst the prospect of 

 its immediate transfer to Government checked the energy of 

 the Committee. 



In reply, the Secretary of State, though commending the 

 scheme for the male branch of the asylum, doubted whether it 

 would be desirable to remove at once, and without a more careful 

 examination of the question from a health point of view, the 

 boys, who were mainly of mixed blood, from Madras to Ootaca- 

 mand, believing the climate of Madras far more congenial for 

 such than that of a very elevated table-land. The consideration of 

 the question was accordingly to be postponed. " On the other 

 hand,^' he remarked, " it is quite certain that children of pure 

 Em^opean descent are far more likely to be reared and trained 

 with vigourous bodies and energetic minds so as to become when 

 grown up useful subjects or servants of the State at Ootacamund 

 than at Madras, and for such it is my desire that a Lawrence 

 Asylum should be established on the Neilgherries without loss 

 of time." He approved the proposed grant of Rupees 2,500 

 for the maintenance of 200 boys, and required that a female 

 branch should also be maintained. The despatch concluded in 

 the following remarkable words : — 



" I have to remark that while the State, from a regard to the last 

 wishes of Sir Henry Lawrence, and from a desire to secure to a 

 numerous class of Her Majesty's subjects, peculiarly calling for 

 sympathy and assidtance, the benefits which the Lawrence Asylums 

 are calculated to afford, hag undertaken the support of a given number 

 of children in each of the three institutions above named, Her 

 Majesty's Government would much regret that this measure should 

 have the effect of checking the benevolence of the community in India, 

 who contributed so liberally towards the origiaal establishment of these 

 asylums. It is desirable, therefore, that measures may be taken to 

 make it publicly known that any contributions which may be made to 

 the general objects of these asylums will be applied to extend their 

 benefits still more widely. If sufficient funds for this purpose should, 

 from time to time, be subscribed by the public, an additional number 

 of children in each case might be taken in and provided for ; and, as 

 is the case in similar institutions in England, contributors to a certain 

 amount might be invested with proportionate rights of nominating 

 eligible pupils. When it is considered how largely the English army 

 in India has been augmented within the last four years, I can have no 

 doubt but that there will always be found many friendless orphans of 

 our soldiers, to whom such an asylum would prove a boon of the 

 highest value. To the living soldier these institutions will show that 



