THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, who had a Notice on the paper—
To call the attention of the House to a letter from the Earl of Ellenborough, President of the Board of Control, to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the East India Company, dated 28th April, 1858; and, To ask Her Majesty's Government, Whether, in pursuance of that letter, any Instructions have been issued to the Government of India recalling or altering the Instructions conveyed in a Despatch from the Court of Directors of the East India Company to the Governor 1169 General of India in Council. dated 19th of July, 1854, on Education in India"—postponed his Motion sine die.
§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHsaid, that he thought all of their Lordships would agree with him that this subject was one of extreme delicacy. He felt it was one the discussion of which would hardly be of any advantage to the cause of Education in India, and he urged most earnestly upon the noble Duke to consider whether it would not be safer and better to leave the subject in the hands of Her Majesty's Government. The noble Duke and the whole country were in possession of the principles by which her Majesty's Government were to be guided in the matter, because they had been clearly laid down in Her Majesty's Proclamation; therefore, he hoped that the noble Duke would not think it necessary to bring on his Motion at all.
THE DUKE OF ARGYLLsaid, that the subject upon which his notice of Motion was founded was the letter of the noble Earl to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the East India Company, dated April 28th, 1858. Though that letter had not formed the topic of discussion in their Lordships' House, yet in India it had attracted considerable attention, and had been the cause of considerable alarm. He fully agreed with the noble Earl as to the delicacy of the question, but did not think that the character of the discussion in their Lordships' House would be likely to affect the question injuriously.
§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGHsaid, that it was impossible for him to prevent the publication of that despatch as it formed a necessary addition to the papers moved for in the House of Commons.
§ THE EARL OF DERBYbegged to state, that no action had taken place upon the letter addressed to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman by his noble Friend, but the attention of the Government had been turned to this important question. The reports from India had been carefully examined, but they did not furnish sufficient information, and the Secretary of State for India had called for a full and detailed report from the home Government of India upon the working of the education scheme since its introduction in 1855, what effect it had produced upon the Native mind, and what modifications were required. It was very desirable that any discussion should be avoided on a subject so critical and so delicate at least, until their Lordships 1170 were fully in possession of the views of the Indian Government in relation to it.
§ House adjourned at half-past Five o'clock, till to-morrow, half-past Ten o'clock.