Indian statesman of Sir Charles Metcalfe’s established character and long practical experience cannot fail to be regarded with interest. He considers Sanskrit and Arabic books as mere “waste paper,” as far as national education is concerned. His words are, “The government having resolved to discontinue, with some exceptions, the printing of the projected editions of oriental works, a great portion of the limited education fund having hitherto been expended on similar publications to little purpose but to accumulate stores of waste paper, cannot furnish pecuniary aid to the society for the further printing of those works, but will gladly make over the parts already printed either to the Asiatic Society or to any society or individuals who may be disposed to complete the publication at their own expense.” The Asiatic Society had applied to the government for funds to complete the printing of the oriental works which had been discontinued by the education committee, and this was the answer which was returned. In another part of this paper, Sir C. Metcalfe fully admits the valuable and laudable nature of the pursuits in which the Asiatic Society was engaged, but he uses, as we have seen, the most emphatic language to express his sense of the unsuitableness of Arabic and Sanskrit
