HC Deb 16 May 1899 vol 71 cc733-4
SIR W. WEDDERBURN (Banffshire)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that a new College of Law, with a suitable stall of professors, under the presidency of the Hon. Mr. Justice Tyabji, was established in Bombay in 1897 by private enterprise, and that in January, 1898, this college was affiliated to the Bombay University; whether he will state for what reasons the Bombay Government refused its sanction to such affiliation when applied to by the University authorities; whether he is aware that since the founding of the University in 1857 such sanction has in no other case been refused; and whether he will explain how this refusal is in accordance with the declaration of Her Majesty's Government in 1884, upon the report of the Education Commission, that in higher education private effort should be increasingly and mainly relied on and systematically encouraged.

LORD G. HAMILTON

I have no information as to the character of the private institution referred to in this question, or of its staff of professors. But I understand that the Government of Bombay, who have quite recently taken steps to improve the Government School of Law and to make it equal to all demands, considered that it was not advisable that the control of the higher legal education should be wholly or partially in private hands. They therefore, with the full concurrence of the Government of India, refused the affiliation which had been applied for. As regards the question of precedents, it is obvious that every application of this kind must be dealt with on its own merits. I see no reason to doubt the soundness of the decision arrived at in this case; nor does it appear to me to be inconsistent with the views of the Education Commissioners, who considered that the establishment of competing schools in one locality might involve "a clashing of interests and a waste of power."

SIR W. WEDDERBUUN

May I ask whether the noble Lord is aware that the Government contribute nothing to the support of the schools, but, on the contrary, make a profit of 8,000 rupees a year from the fees? Does he consider it desirable that a monopoly should be created in this way?

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order.