founded upon the report of a committee, of which Lord Macaulay was the chairman, to whose consideration the subject had been referred by Sir Charles Wood, by a letter dated 3d April 1854.

The recommendations of the committee, which were founded upon the presumption of the continuance of Haileybury College, comprised, first a competitive examination to take place from time to time, of candidates for admission into Haileybury College; secondly, a subsequent pass examination of the candidates so selected.

With respect to the limits of age for admission and for going out to India, the Committee observed "that under the rule then "existing no person could be admitted to Haileybury under 17, or go out to India after 23; and they added, that as two years' residence was required, the maximum age for entrance was in fact 21. This line," they observed, "was drawn as if "it had been expressly meant to exclude bachelors of Oxford "and Cambridge," and they proceeded-" It will, we believe, "be found that the great majority of our academic youth graduate too late by a few months, and only by a few "months, for admission into Haileybury." At the same time they stated, that they thought it would be a great improvement to allow students to be admitted to the college up to the age of 23, and to fix 25 as the latest age at which they should go out to India in the Civil Service.

With respect to the competitive examination, it was to extend to those literary and scientific subjects which are ordinarily studied at the principal seats of general education in the United Kingdom; and was not to include subjects specially relating to India, with the exception of Sanskrit and Arabic, which had already found their place as studies at the Universities.

The following subjects and scale of marks were suggested by the committee :

English Language and Literature:

Composition

English Language and Literature, including that of the
Laws and Constitution

Mathematics, pure and mixed

Natural Science, that is, Chemistry, Electricity, and Magnetism, Natural History, Geology, and Mineralogy

Moral Science, that is, Mental, Moral, and Political Philosophy

Sanskrit Language and Literature

500

- 1,000

It was recommended that, from the candidates who should undergo this competitive examination, a definite number of the most successful, corresponding to the estimated number of vacancies, should be civil servants elect of the Company, to be styled "probationers," but should not be allowed to proceed to India unless they should pass a further examination after an interval of not less than one year, and not more than two years, in the four following subjects:

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"(1.) The History of India, in the widest sense of the term, includ"ing Parliamentary papers and reports and Debates." This knowledge it was considered might be acquired "with very much greater facility "in England than in any part of India, except at the three seats of "Government, if the three seats of Government ought to be ex"cepted."

"(2.) The General Principles of Jurisprudence," &c., which it was said may be studied here with more advantage than in India.

"(3) Political Economy, including Commercial and Financial "Science." The committee were of opinion that every probationer ought to prepare himself for the discharge of his duties by attention to these subjects.

"(4). A Vernacular Language. We are of opinion," it was said, " that "every probationer should acquire in this country an elementary "knowledge of at least one Indian language."

Although this further examination was to be a test, it was also to be, in a certain respect, competitive, for on the one hand ignorance of any subject was to exclude from the service, and on the other hand, the order of merit, as shown in this examination, was to decide the order of seniority in the service.

With regard to the place in which the period of probation should be spent, considerable difficulty was felt. The arrangements of Haileybury were not, it was seen, suited to men of the age and standing of those likely to be selected candidates; and it was evidently the opinion of the committee, that no alteration which could be made would fit the College to be the residence of the candidates.

On receipt of this report, Sir Charles Wood wrote to the chairs, intimating his intention to bring in a bill, relieving the company from the obligation to keep up the College. The bill was passed in the Session of 1855, and became the Act 18 & 19 Vict. c. 53.

The regulations for the examination of candidates for the East India Civil Service were issued in January 1855. They were in general conformity with the report of the committee. They rendered eligible for the competitive examination of 1855 all persons otherwise qualified, who might be above 18, and under 23, on the 1st of May; and they provided for the further examinations of selected candidates in the above-mentioned special subjects. [The selected candidates were, of course, relieved from the necessity of going to Haileybury, and might

pursue their studies wherever they might think fit.] In August 1856 and August 1857, there were to be further examinations of these selected candidates, each candidate having the option of presenting himself at the one or the other, as he might think fit; and those who might have failed at the first, being allowed to present themselves again at the second.

Before, however, the time for the first of these further examinations had arrived, it was determined it should be dispensed with in the case of the candidates who had been selected in the preceding July, and of those who might be selected in 1856. The reason of this alteration (which was announced to the Court of Directors by letter of 30th May 1856), was the great want of public servants in India; but it is also to be mentioned, that some members of the committee of 1854 were consulted, and agreed in thinking that the step was, on other grounds, a wise

one.

Regulations for the examination of 1856 had been issued before the above determination was arrived at. They had provided for only one further examination instead of two. In other respects there was no material change.

The regulations of 1857 were in all important points similar to those of the preceding year, with the omission of those which related to the further examination.

At the close of April last we received an intimation from Lord Ellenborough, then President of the India Board, that he wished us to undertake the superintendence of the then approaching examination of the candidates for writerships in the East India Civil Service.

Believing that it might be for the public convenience that the India Board should be relieved from a function which had no relation whatever to its ordinary duties, and feeling also that the additional experience which we should acquire from dealing with these examinations might be valuable to us in reference to our general duties under the Order in Council of 1855, we did not hesitate to accept the task which Lord Ellenborough was pleased to confide to us.

In conferring with us on the subject, his Lordship stated to us his opinion, that it was not expedient to dispense with the further examination of the selected candidates.

We feel that we cannot better express his views than in the terms of a note which he addressed to one of ourselves on this point :

The

"As regards the second examination, I must, of course, admit that Indian history and geography and an Indian language are indispensable subjects of examination; but I should be glad to have others. first examination, I consider, should be such as to show that the candidate is not unfit; the second should show that he is fit. It should be at least as severe as that formerly in use at Haileybury, whatever

that may have been. I conclude it was thoroughly appropriate. When we overthrow a system which gave to India a constant succession of well-educated gentlemen as civil servants, we should at least take care that the persons the system we substitute brings into the service are as well versed in all it behoves a civil servant to know as their predecessors were.

"As soon as they reach India their life becomes one of hard work. They have little leisure to read, and, when fatigued by work, little inclination. Unless their minds are opened early, unless they acquire an early desire for useful knowledge by tasting its pleasures, they will remain ignorant for ever.

"They have to administer revenue and justice. They should know something, not of the details of the English law, in which they would soon be lost, but of the principles of the Mahometan, the Hindoo, and the English law; for they will have much to do with all. They should have some elementary book, giving them an idea of the manner in which the Hindoos and the Mahometans raised their revenue. They should know something of the principles of political economy, because they clear away from the mind many popular errors. Recollect that the civil servant in England is a clerk; in India he may become a proconsul. The prosperity and the peace of India depend upon the characters of those who govern it. I feel the vanity of examination when applied to the discovery of abilities for administering an empire. It can exclude the man clearly unfit, and direct the studies and thus open the mind of the man who may seem to be worth a trial. It can do no more. But let us try to do that.

"I should like to have the candidates examined in political economy, in Hindoo, Mahometan, and English principles of law, and in Hindoo, Mahometan, and English systems of revenue. Indeed, the more I think upon the subject, the more I am disposed to require, as a proof of possible fitness, from the youth who puts himself forward as a person qualified to rise by seniority, as all practically do, to the chief administration of justice and revenue in India.”

In the opinion respecting the further special examination of the selected candidates thus conveyed to us by Lord Ellenborough, confirming as it did the original recommendations of Lord Macaulay and his colleagues, we entirely concurred, but it was deemed inexpedient to postpone the final appointments and departure of the candidates who might be successful in the examination of July 1858 beyond the early part of the present year, an interval too short to admit of the acquisition of the important branches of special knowledge indicated by Lord Ellenborough.

Under these circumstances we suggested that, with respect to the candidates who might be examined in July 1858, and be successful in that examination, they should be required to pass a further examination in or previous to December 1858, in English composition, in the history and geography of India, and in the elements of the Bengali or Hindustani languages, so far as to understand the principal rules of grammar, and to be able to read and translate an easy passage.

Lord Ellenborough having acquiesced in this suggestion, we

issued the regulations (A.) printed in the Appendix, p. 213; the portion relating to the further examination is as follows:

9. In December 1858, a further examination of the selected candidates will take place, under the superintendence of the Civil Service Commissioners, in the following subjects:

1. English Composition.

2. The History and Geography of India.

3. The Elements of the Bengali or Hindustani Languages.*

10. The selected candidates will receive instructions as to the books which should be studied.

11. Any selected candidate desirous of presenting himself for further examination at a time earlier than that above mentioned will be permitted to do so on application to the Civil Service Commissioners. If he should then fail to pass, he will be allowed to present himself again in December.

12. Any selected candidate who does not pass at the further examination of December 1858 will be struck off the list of selected candidates.

13. The selected candidates who, at the further examination, shall be found to have a competent knowledge of the subjects specified in Regulation 9, shall be adjudged to have passed, and to be entitled to be appointed to the Civil Service of the East India Company in the Presidency of Bengal.

14. The seniority in the Civil Service of the East India Company of the selected candidates shall be determined by the date of the further examination at which they shall be adjudged to have passed; and, as between those who passed at the same further examination, their seniority shall be determined according to the order in which they stand on the list resulting from the examination of July.

15. No person will, even after passing the further examination, be allowed to proceed to India unless he shall comply with the Regulations in force at the time for the Civil Service of the East India Company, and shall be of sound bodily health and good moral character.

The Civil Service Commissioners will require such further evidence on these points as they may deem necessary.

The competitive examination of candidates for the Civil Service of India took place in July 1858, under the regulations (A.) 1-9; and although previously to its completion the Act for the Government of India had passed, which charged us with express duties in reference to the examination of candidates for the Civil Service of India, it did not necessitate any change in the arrangements for the then examination, which took place at the time and in the manner which were contemplated.

The number of persons eligible according to the regulations, who intimated their wish to become candidates, was 88.

This number was subsequently reduced to 67.

The limited amount of accommodation in the offices allotted to this Commission obliged us to look out for some further examination room, and, as our official staff was not more than sufficient for the conduct of our ordinary business, we were com

* Candidates will be expected to understand the principal rules of the grammar, and to be able to read and translate an easy passage.