1850.] 



Education in Madras, 



389 



The Experimental Establishment of Mr. Boss, Collector o/Cuddapah. 



In 1814, the attention of the Board of Revenue was called to the 

 numerous instances which had occurred among the native servants of 

 Government of extensive embezzlement and fraudulent combination, 

 and an inquiry was instituted respecting the causes of the prevalence 

 of those crimes and the means of counteracting them. A draft Re- 

 gulation for the punishment of offenders was prepared and circulated 

 to the several Collectors for their report thereon, accompanied by di- 

 rections that they would offer any suggestions which might occur to 

 them, as to the means best calculated to excite the natives to a faith- 

 ful discharge of their public duties, by the hope of reward rather 

 than by the dread of punishment. 



Mr. Ross, the Collector of Cuddapah, in the report submitted by 

 him on the above occasion, suggested that great advantages would 

 result from giving education to the natives of India, and offered to 

 the consideration of Government a plan for providing proper edu- 

 cation and moral instruction for young men, particularly Brahmins, 

 from the age of twelve or thirteen to that of eighteen or twenty, and 

 by establishing an institution for education in every district. 



Agreeably to the recommendation of the Revenue Board; the sub- 

 ject was referred to the College Board for their consideration and 

 report. The Government, however, entertaining great doubt 

 whether the proposed measure would be found of sufficient efficacy 

 to answer the end proposed, and observing that it admitted of a li- 

 mited experiment, authorized such an experiment to be made in 

 Cuddapah, under the superintendence of Mr. Ross, whose superin- 

 tendence they observed afforded the best prospect of success. Mr. 

 Ross was at the same time cautioned against incurring any consider- 

 able expense or giving any pledge in the confidence of success, 

 which, in the event of failure, might be found to be inconvenient. 

 He died not long afterwards, and no report of his further proceedings 

 with respect to this object has been traced upon the records. 



Free Schools at Palamcottah and Tinnevelly. 

 In 1819, the Rev. Mr. Hough, Chaplain at Palamcottah, solicited 

 from the Government pecuniary aid to the extent of 25 pagodas per 

 month for the support of two schools, the one at Palamcottah, the 

 other at Tinnevelly, which he had opened in the preceding years 

 1817 and 1818, under the auspices of the Madras Corresponding 

 Committee of the Church Missionary Society, for the instruction of 



