850 Proceedings of the [JuNfi, 



tions ; and that, when any professor of Oriental learning shall vacate his situation, 

 the Committee shall report to the Government the number and state of the class, 

 in order that the Government may be able to decide upon the expediency of 

 appointing a successor. 



" It has come to the knowledge of the Governor General in Council, that a 

 large sum has been expended by the Committee in the printing of Oriental works. 

 His Lordship in Council directs, that no portion of the funds shall hereafter be 

 so employed. 



" His Lordship in Council directs, that all the funds which these reforms will 

 leave at the disposal of the Committee, be henceforth employed in imparting to 

 the native population a knowledge of English literature and science, through the 

 medium of the English language ; and His Lordship in Council requests the Com- 

 mittee to submit to Government, with all expedition, a plan for the accomplish- 

 ment of this purpose." 



The Secretary hoped he might be allowed to make a few observations on the 

 reply of Government, in consideration of his having been the first to bring the 

 subject of the abandoned publications to the notice of the Society, and to sug- 

 gest the propriety of its intercession. The warmth with which his proposal had 

 been met by the friends of Oriental literature within and without these walls, and 

 the confidence of some aid from Government for such an object had, he confessed, 

 made him a little sanguine, and had led him to look beyond the sole object of 

 completing the several works actually commenced, to the organization of an Oriental 

 Committee, for extending the benefits of publication to the whole series of classi- 

 cal authors, as had been once intended by the Committee of Instruction ; — to 

 include also the nucleus of Bauddha literature, selected by Mr. Hodgson, and the 

 astronomical works recommended by Mr. Wilkinson. But the pleasing dream 

 had now vanished ; the reply of Government was before them, and, though none 

 could witness tbe issue with greater regret than himself — none could bow more 

 submissively to its decree. There was however a passage in the reply, which 

 raised his hopes and encouraged him to make one more effort in the cause ; this 

 was the offer to transfer to any Society the whole of the matter already printed, 

 provided it would engage to complete the works. Considering the light in which 

 they were held by Government, " as a mere accumulation of waste paper," it 

 was hardly liberal to couple the offer with such terms; but still he was 

 prepared to recommend to the Society to accept even these conditions. He had 

 made careful estimates of the expences of completing all the works : the Printers 

 had liberally consented to reduce their rates; the pandits and maulavis had volun- 

 teered their gratuitous aid for an object so dear to them ; and in short he would 

 venture, from the prospect of sales, and of subscriptions for copies from Europeans 

 and Natives of rank, to guarantee the Society from any risk of involving its funds 

 by the acceptance of the Government offer. The Secretary then moved a resolu- 

 tion, which we give in the altered form in which it was finally adopted. The 

 resolution was seconded by Mr. Colvin : — 



" Resolved — That with reference to the 5th paragraph of Mr. Secretary 

 Bushby's letter, the Society feels disposed to accept the offer of Government to 

 transfer the printed portion of the several Oriental works now in progress to the 

 Asiatic Society, and it entertains a reasonable hope of being able to complete the 

 whole of them without involving any material charge on its funds ; but that the 



