and Auxiliary Royal Asiatic Society. 



167 



At a Special General Meeting of the Madras Literary Society and Auxi- 

 liary of the Royal Asiatic Society, held at the Society's Rooms at the 

 College, on Friday, the \st Septemler, 1843. 



The Secretary stated that according to the existing rules of the Society 

 there should always be twelve members of the Managing Committee, and 

 that the present meeting has therefore been convened for the purpose of 

 electing a member for the Committee in the room of N. B. Acworth, Esq., 

 who has left the Presidency. * 



The meeting then proceeded to elect a member from among the sub- 

 scribers to the Society, when it was proposed by Walter Elliot, Esq. that 

 Lord Arthur Hay be nominated a member of the Committee, which pro- 

 position being seconded by Lieutenant Colonel Felix, he was accord- 

 ingly elected. 



At a Meeting of the Managing Committee of the Bladras Literary Society 

 and Auxiliary of the Royal Asiatic Society, held on Tuesday evening, the 

 19th September, 1843. 



Resolved, — That the following letter be addressed to the Secretary to 

 Government with reference to the resolution passed at the Meeting of 

 the 11th May last. 



To 



G. D. Dkuky, Esq. 



Chief Secretary to Government. 



Sm, 



I am requested, by the Committee of Management of the Madras Lit- 

 erary Society and Auxiliary of the Royal Asiatic Society, to bring to 

 the notice of Government, that there are at present in the Library at the 

 East India House a number of manuscripts in the languages peculiar to 

 Southern India, forming part, and the Committee have reason to believe 

 the most valuable part, of the collection of the late Colonel Colin Mac- 

 kenzie. 



As these manuscripts cannot well be deciphered and translated without 

 the assistance of learned Natives, it is obvious that there is little proba- 

 bility of their ever being turned to account whilst they remain in England ; 

 and as their contents may tend to furnish much valuable information elu- 

 cidatory of the ancient history, literature, and antiquities of Southern 

 India, the Committee are induced to suggest, through the Government, to 

 the Honorable the Court of Directors, the advisability of the manuscripts 

 in question being transmitted to this country, and the grant of a small 

 sum with the view of effecting their translation. 



Should the Honorable Court be pleased to accede to this suggestion 

 the Committee will be happy to render all the assistance in their power 



