§ DR. HAZELI beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, seeing that it has been customary to select a gentleman of distinguished Oriental scholastic attainments for the principalship of the Calcutta Madrassah, and that Mr. J. A. Chapman, the present holder of that office, possesses no such qualifications, but is an ex-clerk in an exchange bank, whose previous educational work has been to lecture on modern English, to commercial classes at the Presidency College in Calcutta, he will say what steps have been, or are being, taken to secure the services of an Oriental scholar for charge, whether temporary or substantive, of the office of principal of the Calcutta Madrassah; and when it is proposed to relieve Mr. Chapman of his duties, and appoint a permanent incumbent possessing the customary and requisite qualifications.
§ MR. MORLEYMr. Chapman is acting for Dr. Denison Ross, who has been deputed to Simla on special duty which was expected to last for about two months, and his acting appointment will presumably terminate when Dr. Ross returns to Calcutta. As I have just stated, Dr. Ross retains for the present the principalship of the Madrassah, and I cannot as yet say when a permanent incumbent will be appointed to succeed him.