and to cut down the sums lavished on Sanscrit and Arabic printing. At this juncture, Government requested the Committee to prepare a scheme of instruction for a College at Agra. The Committee were utterly unable to agree on any plan. Five members were in favour of Arabic, Persian, and Sanscrit learning, and five in favour of English and the Vernacular, with just so much of the Oriental learned languages as would be necessary to satisfy local prejudices.
The Orientalist party consisted of The Hon’ble H. Shakespear, Messrs. H. Thoby Prinsep, James Prinsep, W. H. Macnaghten, and T. C. C. Sutherland, the Secretary of the Committee. The Anglicists were Messrs. Bird, Saunders, Bushby, Trevelyan, and J. R. Colvin.
Of this Committee, Sir W. H. Macnaghten became Envoy in Afghanistan and was assassinated there, and the Hon’ble J. R. Colvin died during the mutinies at Agra. James Prinsep is immortalized by his Sanscrit discoveries, and Sir Charles Trevelyan still remains alive, beloved and honored. He deserved, though he did not obtain, for his zealous educational labours in Bengal, the love he has won for his Government at Madras.
Over this Committee, Macaulay on his arrival in India was appointed President, but he declined to take an active part in its proceedings, till the decision of the Supreme Government should be given on the question at issue. The letters of the two parties in the Committee setting forth at great length their opinions, and bearing date the 21st and 22nd January, 1835, came before Macaulay in his capacity of Legislative Member of the Supreme Council, and on them he wrote his minute of the 2nd February, which, was followed on the 7th March by Lord Bentinck’s decision of the case in favour of the English language. Soon after this decision many new Members were added to the Committee, among whom may he mentioned Sir Edward Ryan, Mr. Boss D. Mangles, Mr. C. H. Cameron, Colonel James Young, Baboo, now Raja Radha Kant Deb, Baboo Russomoy Dutt, Mr. C. W. Smith, Captain, now General Sir J. R. H. Birch, and Dr. Grant. Sir Benjamin Malkin was added at a later time.
The business of the Committee was chiefly conducted by minute books. The minutes of Sir Charles Trevelyan are very elaborate. He was indefatigable in the cause of education, and had something to say on every subject. Macaulay’s minutes are neither so numerous nor so long as Trevelyan’s. Three-fourths of his opinions on the proposals submitted by Mr. Sutherland, the Secretary, are conveyed in the concise expressions “I approve,” “I do not object,” “I would decline the offer,” &c.
