Oct. 1858. — Mar. 1859.] In Boman Characters. 



231 



probable, as it is merely the offspring of prejudice and not of 

 conviction. It is said that " if the orthography of names is 

 « altered, the names in their amended form, will not be iden- 

 « tifiable with, themselves as they stood previous to emenda- 

 tion.". I reply that there is no definite plan of spelling 

 names in use for which it is proposed to 

 substitute another definite plan. There is 

 no existing fixed method of representing words, a depar- 

 ture from which would endanger their recognition. What 

 is proposed now, is to establish a definite plan, instead of al- 

 lowing each name to be written according to the fancy of 

 the writer, and his ideas of the force of letters and the pro- 

 nunciation of what he writes. No objection is made to 

 perpetual contortions and uncouth changes of form which 

 it is impossible to deny take place now in writing names, 

 scarcely any one being presented twice in the same garb ; 

 no fears are expressed of non-recognition now, but most 

 unaccountably, if it is proposed to make a change on certain 

 fixed principles once for all, it is objected that the words so 

 changed will not be identified. I would ask if this has been 

 found the case in the N. W. P. where a correct orthogra- 

 phy has been attempted, or whether it is consistent with 

 reason and common sense to suppose that it ever will be ? 



7. I conclude with another expression of an earnest 

 hope that steps may at once be taken in the matter. 



M. NORMAN, 



Deputy Secretary to Government. 



Bangalore, ) 

 March mh 1859. j 



