* See below.

Fort St. George

eventually be appointed to act; but it should be so guarded as to bring the question at the earliest practicable period under your supervision.

50. To the second class belongs all that has been said of the inefficiency of local assistants. On this point we are disposed to entertain favourably the several proposals before us for educating young natives as civil engineers, and for giving a fixed position in the public service to a limited number of pupils of distinguished proficiency. But we fully concur in the reasons, already noticed, for thinking that this education should be in a great measure practical; that a mere scientific class at the Presidencies, though essential as a preliminary, should be but the first step of the system; and that the education of the assistants should be practically completed under properly qualified persons on the scene of operations.

51. We are disposed to approve the establishment of a course of lectures on geology; and we think it should be connected with the class of civil engineering, should such class be constituted. The importance of geological knowledge to engineers is well pointed out in the memorandum of Mr. Simms. We think also that the museum of economic geology should be assigned to the same class, and that the expense of the lectures and the museum should be brought under one head.

52. We observe that the Military Board had proposed to assign a portion of the allowance made to the museum for the establishment of a course of lectures on the subject. You do not express an opinion on this suggestion, nor notice in any way the passage quoted in the margin* from the Military Board's letter of the 25th April 1848.

53. The ninth para. of your letter, dated 2d September (No. 48) 1848, adverts to the several applications for professors of civil engineering.

54. The application for a professor of civil engineering, for instructing the students in the Hindoo College at Calcutta, was suspended by the Bengal letter, dated 7th September (No. 26) 1847, and the appointment of Mr. Sutcliff as professor of natural philosophy and civil engineering in that institution, at a salary of Rs. 400 per mensem, was reported to us in the letter dated 27th December (No. 35) 1848.

55. The application from Madras was made conditional on our approval of Letter, 22 February the plan for the establishment of a class in the Madras University for training (No. 5) 1848, para. civil engineers.

6 to 8.

56. As regards Bombay, it has been intimated that, until a scheme shall have been matured for the employment of those who are to be trained in civil engineering, it will not be desirable to engage a teacher.

57. The result of our inquiries satisfied us that the services of persons, properly qualified for these professorships, could not be again obtained on the terms formerly accepted by Mr. Pole, although the Bengal Government, by engaging a person on the spot, appears to have obtained his services on nearly similar terms. But whenever you may find it necessary to bring the subject again to our notice, it is desirable that you should state the amount of salary which you think should be assigned to the office.

58. In a foregoing para. we noticed, as a most valuable qualification of the subordinate officers whom it is proposed to educate for the public service, the knowledge of the native languages which they would certainly possess, and which should be in all cases an indispensable condition of their employment.

This

• "This proposal arrived in India at an unfortunate time, in November 1841, or thereabouts, and Lord Auckland transferred the matter to the Asiatic Society temporarily, together with the (300) three hundred rupees per mensem; and the Society made the money over to Mr. Piddington, who, though since appointed coroner, still retains the nominal duties; the specimens remaining in the rooms of the Asiatic Society a sealed book, instead of becoming, as they would do in the Medical College, the groundwork to a course of lectures for the instruction of native youth, where science may be made available towards the gradual accomplishment of the views of the Honourable the Court of Directors, the utility of which the Council of Education, as well as Mr. Simms, have so strongly pointed out."

This knowledge is not less necessary for our officers of engineers; and it is our intention to address you on the subject in the Military Department.

59. With respect to the chief superintending authorities, the present practice at the several Presidencies is different.

60. Under the Presidency of Fort William, the superintendence of public works is vested in the Military Board, in two branches, military and civil. It has been proposed to separate the latter altogether from the duties of the Military Board, and create a new department for the superintendence of the civil branch of public works. The duties of the military branch are stated to be fully as much as the Military Board can attend to. This proposal has been suspended for the opinion of the Governor-general.

61. Under the Presidency of Madras, the control of all works connected with the land revenue, especially all works of irrigation, is entrusted to the Board of Revenue in the department of public works, which consists of the ordinary members of the Board, with the addition of the chief engineer, and with a distinct establishment, at the head of which is placed an engineer officer as secretary. All other works are placed under the superintendence of the Military Board.

62. Under the Presidency of Bombay, the Military Board has the superintendence of all public works, in two departments; one of which, the Road and Tank Department, created in 1835, is, under the circumstances previously stated, proposed to be abolished by the majority of the Bombay Government.

63. it is most important that the system of the superintendence of public works should be assimilated at all the Presidencies, but considering that the opinion of the Governor-general has not yet been given on the division of public works in Bengal, considering also the unsatisfactory working of the system at Madras, which formed the subject of our despatch to that Presidency, 29th May (No. 12) 1845, and the great differences of opinion in relation to the change of system at Bombay, the subject is not brought before us in a state for final decision. It is desirable that the entire question in relation to all the Presidencies should first pass under the deliberate review of your Government.

64. In forming a judgment of the system of superintendence, it is necessary to have a clear view of the actual state of all the work which is the subject of superintendence. This, in the districts, and especially in the district roads, embraces a most extensive field of operations. The documents which we have examined, exhibit many proofs of cost and labour thrown away; of work done over again and again without a good final result; of great excess of expenditure over estimates; in short, an extensive admission of defects, and a great diversity of opinion as to the mode in which those defects should be remedied.

65. We think it desirable that you should select two or three competent officers from persons already at the Presidency, and whose services can be either wholly or partially spared for the purpose, to form a temporary commission to inquire into the whole subject of the superintendence and execution of public works, not omitting any subject noticed in this despatch; that similar commissions should be formed at the other Presidencies; that they should make full and detailed reports to their respective Governments, embodying such suggestions as may appear to them advisable; that these reports should be submitted to you, and that we should receive from you such a distinct opinion on the whole of the questions herein considered, as shall place it in our power to come to a decision respecting them.

66. In conclusion, as the letters before us make some specific applications : 67. We sanction the proposed expenditure of 28,700 rupees per annum, for the maintenance of the Bombay and Agra road.

68. We do not consider that any great public advantage would result from the engagement of two practical overseers, thoroughly conversant with roadmaking in all its branches, as proposed in Lord Tweeddale's Minute of January 1848, especially as it would be impossible to send out persons possessing the essential qualification of a knowledge of the native languages.

69. Of all other applications and suggestions for purposes of permanent utility, but not of immediate temporary necessity, we shall postpone the consideration till we are in possession of the opinions with which we have required you to supply us.

London, 30 January 1850.

We are, &c. (signed)

A. Galloway. J. Shepherd. &c. &c.

No. 152.

To the Secretary to Government, Military Department, Fort St. George, and Secretary at Bombay, dated 21 December 1850.

EXTRACT Bengal Military Consultations, dated 27 December 1850.

(No. 583.)

From Major R. Willie, Officiating Secretary to the Government of India, in the Military Department, to Lieutenant-Colonel C. A. Browne, Secretary to Government, Military Department, Fort St. George.

(No. 584.)

To Lieutenant-Colonel P. M. Melvill, Secretary to Government, Military
Department, Bombay.

Sir,

Dated 21 December 1850.

I AM directed by the Honourable the President of the Council of India in Council, to transmit the accompanying copy of a despatch in the Public Department, No. 2 of the 30th Jannary 1850, from the Honourable the Court of Directors, and, with reference to the 65th para. thereof, to request that the Honourable the Governor in Council may be moved to appoint a commission for the purpose of inquiring into every branch of the existing system of public works, both as regards superintendence and execution, embracing all the various points adverted to by the Honourable Court.

2. A commission has been formed at this Presidency, consisting of Major Kennedy, consulting railway engineer, Major Baker, engineer, and Mr. Allen, of the civil service.

Madras
Bombay f

Presidency should be

3. The Report of the commission at the
submitted to the Government, as desired by the Honourable Court.

Public Works Department, No. 11, of 1852.

LETTER from the Government of Madras to the Honourable the Court of
Directors of the East India Company.

Honourable Sirs,

Para. 1. WE have the honour to address you, in continuation of our letter in this department, dated 6 August 1852, No. 9, relating to public works connected with the improvement of the country.

2. We have sanctioned the following estimates for repairing portions of certain trunk roads ;* viz.

Rs. a. p. 3,240

1,937

50

For repairing the portion of trunk road, No. 9, between the lower Colleroon annicut and Combaconum, for the present year. For keeping in good order a portion of the trunk road, No. 8, from Trichinopoly to Samianoram, for 1852.

As a monthly expenditure for keeping the Goolcheroo Ghaut in repair. We requested the superintendent of roads to report at the end of the second year whether any reduction in this allowance could be effected.

3. We have also sanctioned an outlay of Rs. 16,903. 1. recommended by the superintendent of roads for the construction of a new line of road, proposed by Lieutenant Hemery, from Bankrapett, near the foot of the Goolcheroo Ghaut, towards Cuddapah.

4. We have renewed for three years the sanction granted on the 8th April 1850, for the expenditure required to maintain in repair the portion of the trunk road between Wahaur and Ponang, in the district of Malabar, amounting to 7,100 rupees, being at the rate of 100 rupees per mile.

5. We transmit with this para. the reports of the superintendent of roads* and his assistants, with our observations thereon, from February to April 1852.

6. We have sanctioned the undermentioned estimates submitted by the Board of Revenue Department of Public Works, for the repair and construction of certain district roads and bridges,† &c.

Rs. 9,312

5,753

a. p.

4,830 14

5,042

2 For the repair and improvement of two branch lines, leading from Chingleput to Soorapen's choultry, by Wallajah bad, and Conjeveram, and from Conje veram to the trunk road in the direction of Madras. We further sanctioned the admission in the annual accounts of a sum of 387 rupees for the repairs of these roads.

2 For the construction and repair of roads, bridges, and ferryboats in the districts of Vizagapatam, Guntoor, South Arcot, Tanjore, Malabar, and Madura.

For the repair of roads in the Chellumbrum and Manargoody
talooks of the district of South Arcot.

2 For the formation of a road from Sanecutla, the present termi-
nation of the line from Dharwar and Yellapoor by the Arbyle
Ghaut, to the coast to Tuddry, in the district of Canara.
For the repair of roads and bridges in the districts of Guntoor,
Malabar, Madura, and Tinnevelly.

For repairing the road from Coimbatore to Avanashy, in the district of Coimbatore.

1 11 For the improvement and repair of the road from Trichinopoly towards Combaconum and Madras, in the Trichinopoly district.

Rs. 9,163

a. p.

610 For repairing and improving different parts of the road between Cuddapah and Cummum, in the Cuddapah district.

2,848 2

9,706 8

2,760 10

4,328 14

387 1

5,242 12

6,243 8

400

1

For bridges and tunnels in the districts of Nellore, South Arcot, and Malabar.

For the repair and improvement of the road from Coimbatore
to Konghium, and for the construction of a bridge across
the Nagel River, in the Coimbatore district.

For the improvement of roads and bridges in the districts of
South Arcot, Masulipatam, Bellary, and Malabar.

For repairing and constructing roads, bridges, &c. in the dis-
tricts of Canara, Coimbatore, Malabar, and North Arcot.
For rendering practicable another part of the road between
Cuddapah and Cumbum.

For repairing the Bellary and Humsagur Road, which was
represented to have received considerable damage by the
storm of 1851.

For the reconstruction of drains ruined by the same cause on
the same road, and of others found deficient in capacity.
For ordinary repairs to the Trichinopoly and Drealoor read, in
the Trichinopoly district.

Construction of Roads and Pridges from the
7. At our Consultation of the 18th November 1851,
Surplus Pagoda and Cluttrum Funds.
we sanctioned the appropriation of Rs. 10,766. 0. 8. from
Cons. 18 November 1851, Nos. 3, 4.
the surplus pagoda funds of the Tanjore district for the
23 March
1852, Nos. 17, 18. construction of masonry works required for a road from
1852, Nos. 1,
Tetrapoondy to Negapatam, recommended by the Board
1852, Nus. 7, 8.
of Revenue in the Department of Public Works; the
proposed line affording an additional means of conveying the produce of the
important talook of Tetrapoondy to the port of Nega patam.

8. It will be observed, that the acting collector, Mr. Goodwyn, desired to relieve the merassidars from undertaking the earthwork for the formation of this road, ascertaining that the merassidars of Tanjore were not accustomed to supply gratuitous labour for the construction of new lines. But having reason to doubt the correctness of this opinion, and believing, on the contrary, that the merassidars had always cheerfully undertaken earthwork of roads, on the Government consenting to construct bridges and tunnels; and as it moreover appeared to us that this particular line must greatly benefit the villages through which it passes, as well as the talook in general, we were not disposed wholly to relieve the merassidars from the execution of the earthwork, and declined therefore to support Mr. Goodwin's rejection of the civil engineer's proposition, that the sum of Rs. 3,142. 1. should be deducted from the estimate for the above purpose. On the receipt, however, of the explanation of the acting collector of Tanjore, recorded in our Consultation of 23d March last, we accorded our sanction to the disbursement of the above sum.

9. We also sanctioned the construction of a bridge over the Vuddavaur channel at Nataramimgalum, in the district of South Arcot, at an expense of 4,738 rupees, to be disbursed from the surplus chuttrum funds.

Proposed Roads from Berhampoor to Russel-
condah in Ganjam.

Cons. 10 February 1852, Nos. 1, 2.
11 June
1852, No. 1 to 6.

10. With their letter of the 11th December 1851, the Board of Revenue in the Department of Public Works submitted an estimate for the formation of a first class road, 45 miles in length, from Berhampoor to Russelcondah, in the Ganjam district, amounting to Rs. 1,42,246. 8. 1., and solicited an annual allowance of 4,500 rupees for maintaining it in repair, at the rate of 100 rupees per mile.

11. We had no doubt, from what was represented in the Board's letter, and its enclosures, that the proposed road would be in every respect a most advantageous and desirable one, but it appeared to us, after a careful examination of the plans and surveys, and considering the difficult nature of the country, and the consequent heavy expense, that it would be advisable to restrict the road to a second class one, which would probably suffice for all the traffic and thorough

fare