§ LORD STANLEY OF ALDERLEY (for Viscount MONCK)inquired of the Government, Whether there would be any objection to making public the papers, in modern European languages, which were set at the examinations for the Civil Services of England and of India during the year 1881? With re- 531 gard to India, modern European languages did not seem to be very necessary, and certainly had not the importance, and did not deserve to have allotted to them the same number of marks as should be given to the classical languages—Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian. He thought there were several members of the Indian Council better qualified than the Civil Service Commissioners to set papers, or choose the subjects for examination for Indian candidates.
VISCOUNT ENFIELD,in reply, said, that his noble Friend would not expect him to enter into the question of Civil Service examinations generally; it had been decided long ago that it was beneficial to have such examinations. It had been decided that the Papers referred to should be published as an Appendix to the next Report of the Civil Service Commissioners.