- The British Government, with its distinguished
liberality, has continued all grants of this kind and even in many
cases where it was evident that they were merely of a personal
nature. But they have not, until now, intimated any intention to
enforce the implied, but now dormant, condition of these grants.
The revenue of the original grantee has descended, without
much inquiry, to his heirs. But his talents and acquirements
have not been equally hereditary, and the descendants of the
original grantees will rarely be found to possess either their
learning, or powers of instruction. Accordingly, considerable
alienations of revenue, which formerly did honor to the state, by
upholding and encouraging learning, have deteriorated, under
our rule, into the means of supporting ignorance; whilst science
deserted by the powerful aid she formerly received from
government, has often been reduced to beg her scanty and
uncertain meal from the chance benevolence of charitable
individuals; and it would be difficult to point out any period in
the history of India, when she stood more indeed of the proffered
aid of government, to raise her from the degraded state into
which she has fallen, and dispel the prevailing ignorance which
so unhappily pervades the land. - At a former period, I recollect, that the government, on
the recommendation of the College Board, authorised the late Mr
Ross, then Collector in the neighbouring district of Cuddapah, to
establish experimental schools with the view of improving the
education of the natives; but the lamented death of that zealous
and able public officer led to the abandonment of a plan, to
which his talents and popularity in the country were peculiarly
calculated to give success. As Secretary to the college, and to
your Board, I was, at that time, a warm advocate for such
experiment; and, if now allowed, I should gladly attempt to
superintend some arrangement of that kind, in my present
provincial situation. - I would propose the appointment of an able Shastry
from amongst the Law students at the college, with an addition
to his existing pay of only 10 pagodas per mensem, to be placed
under me at the principal station of the district, to instruct
gratuitously all who chose to attend him, in the Hindoo sciences
in the Sanscrit language, and the native school masters, in the
grammar of the Teloogoo and Carnataca tongues, being those
vernacular here; such a man I have no doubt that I could soon
obtain from the college; for, if one with all the requisite
qualifications is not at present attached to the institution, there
sean pound
(Sean Pound)
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