1839.] Asiatic Society. 959 



tive effect to the monthly be expected to result from the extension of the Society's 



allowance of rupees 500 Library and Museum, and you admit the impossibility of 

 granted by the Court for the J J r J 



publication of oriental works, this extension being effected, unless the Society be aided 



as the Society had publish- liberally by the Government, in like manner as similar 



ed several works before the ...,,. ^ ^ , , A , _ , ,: 



receipt of the Court's sane- institutions in Europe are supported by the Public 



tion, and had thereby incur- Treasury. At the same time you declare yourselves pre- 

 red a debt of rupees 2,500. cluded frQm giying an immediate sanc tion to the specific 



annual grant suggested by the Society in this instance, without previous reference 

 being made to us, engaging to support such reference with your recommendation. 



84. In a subsequent address from the Society, dated 10th July 1837, you were 

 solicited, pending the result of the reference to us, to assist the Society with a monthly 

 grant of 200 rupees, and a further sum of 800 rupees, a month, for the purchase of ad- 

 ditions to the Library and Museum, on the condition that if the disbursement should be 

 disapproved of, the articles so purchased should be relinquished to the Government. 

 With the first of these requests you complied, but declined to make any specific 

 appropriation of funds for the objects proposed in the latter suggestion, although you 

 stated your willingness to receive from the Society recommendations for the purchase, 

 or other procurement, of such articles as the Society might think it desirable to possess, 

 and provided they were not of a perishable description. 



85. The independent and useful activity of the Asiatic Society of Bengal during so 

 long a period, entitles it justly to your consideration, and looking to it as the only insti- 

 tution in India, which offers any analogy to the great national libraries and museums 

 of Europe, it is a legitimate object of public support. We therefore approve of the aid 

 and encouragement which you have given. We think, however, that the extent to which 

 you have gone is fully adequate to all purposes of public utility. The Society is al- 

 ready in possession of a library and museum of some extent, and the additions 

 that may be made to either must be occasional and progressive. It does not happen in 

 India as in Europe, that large public or private collections of a rare and valuable 

 description are offered for sale, and all accessions which the Society will have an 

 opportunity of acquiring must be of limited extent and incidental occurrence. From 



! the character too of the persons who are likely to contribute to the Society's col- 

 lections, it is very improbable that a pecuniary equivalent will in all cases be desired, 



; and it seems to us, on various grounds, unnecessary and objectionable to assign to 

 the Society a permanent grant for the purpose of effecting occasional purchases. When 

 an application from the Society comes before you for any definite outlay, it will 



t be time enough to take into consideration the expediency of granting the particular 

 assistance that may then be required. We shall not object to your granting to 

 the Society funds for special purchases, as occasions arise, as far as may be compatible 

 with a due regard to public economy. On all such occasions, you will forward to our 

 Museum a selection from the articles which may have been so procured. 



86. The more immediate and permanent want of the Society is the superintendence 

 of a qualified person to preserve its collections, and arrange them in a scientific 

 and systematic manner, so that they may be readily consulted, and be at all times sub- 

 servient to the diffusion of useful knowledge ; such a person may no doubt be met with 

 at the Presidency, and we do not object to your allowing to the Society the 

 monthly sum of 200 or 250 rupees as the salary for his services, with a further sum of 

 50 rupees a month for the cost of preparing specimens, and maintaining the 



