390 



Remarks on the Amount of 



[No. 38, 



native youth in reading, writing, arithmetic, and the elements of 

 English Grammar. These schools were under the immediate super- 

 intendence of the Rev. Mr. Hough ; they were attended by natives 

 of all castes ; the books used in them were the New Testament, Sel- 

 tare's History of the Bible, the Psalter, with Lindley Murray's Gram- 

 mar, and the usual English Spelling-books ; and it was observed 

 that the introduction of the Christian Scriptures excited no alarm in 

 the minds of the natives. The Madras Government conceiving, how- 

 ever, that they were not interested in the support of schools of such 

 a nature, declined compliance with the application. 



Upon receipt of advices from Madras communicating the above 

 facts, the Court observed that with the strong evidence before them 

 of the utility of these schools, of their acceptableness to the natives, 

 and of their able and judicious superintendence by the Chaplain of 

 Palamcottah, they could not but regret that they were not supported, 

 and desired to be informed of the grounds on which the Madras Go- 

 vernment came to the determination not to support them. In reply, 

 those grounds were alleged to be, the private character of the schools, 

 the uncertain continuance of the Rev. Mr. Hough's superintendence, 

 and the probable inconvenience of the precedent ; but the Govern- 

 ment promised to bear in mind the Court's wishes respecting these 

 schools, when the general subject was gone into upon receipt of the 

 Board of Revenue's then expected report ; with which explanation 

 the Court was satisfied. 



Committee ' of Public Instruction at the Presidency. 



On the Revenue proceedings of the 2d July 1822, Sir Thomas 

 Munro recorded a minute, recommending as an object of interest and 

 importance that the best information should be obtained of the actual 

 state of education in its various branches among the native inhabitants 

 of the provinces under the Madras Government.* 



A circular letter was accordingly addressed to the several Collectors, 

 accompanied by a blank form, according to which they were required 

 to furnish, for the information of Government, lists of schools within 



* Revenue from, 14th January 1823, 40; To, 18th May 1825, 20; From, 30th 

 June 1826, 2 to 6.— Revenue Consultations, 2d July 1824, 1 and 2 ; 21st January 

 1825, 12.— Board Revenue, 25th July 1822 ; 6th November, 1st May, 2d October, 

 13th January, 14th July, 30th June, 25th August 1823 ; 17th February 1825; 7th 

 April, 10th March 1823.— Board Revenue, 3d and 7th July, 14th and 28th August, 

 13th February 1823 ; 5th September, 28th October, 4th November, 14th November, 

 2d December, 1822; 17th February, 14th do. 1825.— Revenue Consultations, 30th 

 September, 1 ; 10th March, 1826, 1 to 5 ; 26th May, 1826, 22»to 26. 



