The former constantly exhibit the presence of the whole class, with no allowance for sickness or any other cause, which in all other Colleges produces the average absence of at least one-sixth of the whole number borne on the rolls.

6. In addition to all this, there has not been the slightest advance since the time of Warren Hastings, either in the system of instruction pursued, or in the amount of study accomplished.

7. To remedy, in some degree, the abovementioned defects, and to infuse a greater degree of activity in both Mouluvees and pupils, the Council are of opinion that instead of a Secretary, the Mudrissa should have placed at its head an European Principal, with duties and responsibilities similar to those of the Principals of the other Colleges under the Council, with the exception of teaching a class.

In addition to the duties of Principal of the Calcutta Mudrissa, the Council are of opinion that the officer who may be appointed should also be ex-officio visitor and director of the Hooghly Mudrissa, in the superintendence of which an Arabic scholar is much required.

For the above combined offices, the Council beg strongly to recommend the appointment of Dr. Sprenger, as he is, in their opinion, the fittest officer in the country for the proposed situation. Although some of the duties of the Assistant Secretary would be performed by the European principal, the Council do not deem it advisable to recommend, at present, the abolition of that office, as it is one which is very acceptable to the Moohummudans, and in the person of the late incumbent added much to the reputation of the Mudrissa.

To make him more generally useful, the Council are of opinion that the Assistant Secretary should be Professor of some department of Arabic Literature or Science, and to secure the services of a Moohummudan of reputation recommend that the salary of the office be increased from 200 to 225 rupees a month, the excess being obtained by the abolition of the office of Khuteeb, which was held by the late Hafiz Uhmud Kubeer, in addition to the Aminship.

The Council recommend that the offices of Khuteeb and Mouzzin, which are both vacant, be abolished as unnecessary: their continuance is inconsistent with the principle adopted by the Government in all other institutions, of having no connection with the religion of either pupils or Professors.

A similar course was pursued in the Sanscrit College, by the abolition of the Professorship of Vedantism, when it became vacant by the death of the incumbent.

The offices of Khuteeb and Mouzzin are not recognized in the Hooghly Mudrissa, although it is a Moohummudan endowment.

There are no such officers in the Delhi College or Lucknow Martiniere, both of which are chiefly resorted to by Moohummudan students.

In place of the Mouzzin the Council recommend the entertainment of a Nazir on the same salary.

The changes noted above involve no additional expense to the education department, as will be seen by the following statement of the officers and salaries as they are now, and as they are proposed to be hereafter, viz.

The Council recommend at the same time the abolition of the title of Principal enjoyed by Mouluvee Moohummud Wujeeh, and the substitution of the designation of head Mouluvee, as in the Hooghly Mudrissa."

All the suggestions of the Council were acceded to, and Dr. Sprenger was appointed to the office of Principal of the Calcutta, and Visitor and Director of the Hooghly, Mudrissa. That officer, however, being absent on sick certificate in the Hills, Capt. F. F. C. Hayes, M. A., of the 62nd N. I., was appointed to officiate for him. As the Council did not deem it necessary or advisable to demit to the officiating incumbent the carrying out of radical changes, of which he would not remain to see the effects, and which might inconveniently fetter his permanent successor, it was determined that no change in the existing system should be made until Dr. Sprenger should join the College.

The English department of the Institution is still in a very unsatisfactory state, but the Council hesitate to adopt any new plan for its reformation, until Dr. Sprenger has had an opportunity of examining carefully and reporting upon its existing condition.

The result of all the measures referred to will be detailed in our next report.

Three numbers of the Rev. K. M Banerjea's Encyclopædia Bengalensis were completed during

Additional Means of Instruction.

the past year, and of them two numbers, containing a translation of Watts

on the Mind, have been adopted for the junior scholarship standard in Bengali of next year. A revised edition of Pundit Eshwar Chundra Shurma's elegant translation of the Betal Punchabinsatee, with the omission of all the objectionable passages, has also been introduced for the same purpose. The same gentleman has also prepared a translation of Chambers' Biographical Course, which is highly spoken of, and has been much used in our schools and colleges.

A new Bengali Grammar by Babu Shama Churn Sircar, prepared on the principle of Matthiæ's Greek Grammar, has likewise been introduced, and forms one of the text-books for next year's junior scholarship course.

In addition to the above, a map of Europe in the Bengali character, has been prepared by Babu Ram Chunder Mittre, the Bengali master of the senior school department of the Hindu College. It is well executed on the scale of the Irish School Society's maps, and has been lithographed at the Government Press.

The above measures exhibit the interest taken by the Council in the promotion of the study of Bengali, and the means adopted to provide efficient means of instruction in the language of the people of the province.

The more advanced pupils are with great difficulty induced to study their own tongue. So great is the preference shown for English, that it is the common medium of communication, oral and written, among educated natives, many of whom write and speak it with a degree of purity and elegance that exhibit a thorough mastery of its genius and structure.

E

The Council have observed with regret, that some of their best scholars are imperfectly acquainted with their mother tongue, and are unable to write it with correctness and facility. All available means have been taken to impress upon them the importance of an accurate knowledge of Bengali, and the absolute necessity of paying strict attention to its acquisition as an essential and valuable part of their course of study.

The Council, having for some time past experienced considerable difficulty in procuring examiners Payment of for the Sanscrit College, solicited the Sanscrit College Examiner. sanction of Government for being allowed to remunerate them in the manner adopted with the examiners of English scholarships.

Permission was given to employ paid, instead of gratuitous agency, and Pundit Eshwar Chundra Shurma was appointed to the office of examiner for the current year, as he had frequently performed the same duty gratuitously, and always to the entire satisfaction of the Council.

Committee of

Examination of

Candidates for
Employment in
the Education
Department.

The examining Committee met four times during the past year. Twenty-seven candidates appeared before the Committee, of whom four obtained third class, and eight fourth class certificates, the remainder were not found qualified.

In consequence of representations from some of the Zillah Schools under the control of the Council, of the Native masters being unable to teach Bengali, the Council have determined for the future, to add a Bengali examiner to the Committee, and to institute enquiry into the vernacular acquirements of the Native masters already in the service.

The amount of acquaintance with Bengali required from the masters of Zillah Schools, is very small, and such as every Native, pretending to any sort of education, ought to possess. To employ pundits to teach the Bengali alphabet,

and the modicum of reading and writing required as far as the junior scholarship standard, would be a waste of the Education Funds, and tend to perpetuate the false system which has already obtained too long.

Some of the Native masters in the employ of the Council are believed to be excellent Bengali scholars, and they are not only most efficient teachers, but all their schools are in a most creditable state. Foremost among them may be mentioned Khettermohun Chatterjee, head master of the Hooghly Branch School, Peary Churn Sircar, head master of the Baraset School, and Bhoodeb Mookerjea, head master of the Howrah School.

It was for some time doubted whether Native masters possessed sufficient energy and firmness to be placed at the head of schools, even if their literary acquirements were sufficiently extended to permit of their teaching classes as far as the junior scholarship standard. The excellent manner in which all the duties of the Native head masters abovementioned are performed, and the admirable state of the schools under their charge, is a sufficient proof of their fitness for the office, and of the full trust that may safely be reposed in them.

Conduct of Masters.

The Council have much pleasure in recording their general satisfaction with the earnest and zealous manner in which the various duties have been performed during the session under review, by the principals, professors, and masters of the different Institutions under their charge. Two instances only of misconduct occurred, which rendered it necessary to dispense with the services of two junior masters. So far as they have the means of judging, the Council believe the Government Colleges and Schools in Bengal to be generally in an excellent state, as respects internal economy, discipline, and the advancement of learning in them.