SCOTLAND.
TEE DUKE OF AlIGNI,L AT EDINBURGH.
The India Christian Association held its second annual meeting at Edinburgh, on Wednesday. The chair was occupied by the Duke of Argyll, who spoke at great length on the policy which we should pur- sue in India with regard to the propagation of Christianity. He em- phatically opposed that harsh and vindictive course desired by certain parties in India, and expressed his wish to preserve our mild and mer- ciful rule. In so far as the East India Company represented the spirit of toleration he desired no change, but, on the contrary, he desired to preserve those principles inviolate. The real difficulty lies in the ques- tion of education. He could not agree with some, that secular education alone is a positive eviL "The tendency of the doctrine, that all secular education without religion u a danger to the people of India, would be this, that we must not only stop the Government schools in India, but the missionary schools too, be- cause Ton will find, if you examine into it, that the system pur-
sued the representatives of Christian churches in India is to give a secular education apart from Christian belief. I think we should not give into the doctrine that secular education—which, unfortu- nately, is all we can persuade the natives of India generally to accept—that the knowledge of our own literature and our own sciences, which are all more or less imbued with the spirit of Christianity, is in itself an evil, but rather should hold it to be a good." Referring to Sir John Lawrence's de- spatch he said—" He not merely proposes that grants in aid shall be given to missionary schools, but he recommends that in all Government schools where it may be impossible—and he admits it may be impossible in many eases—there should be separate classes for the teaching of the Christian religion, which no one shall be compelled to attend, but which all shall be free to attend. I cannot help agreeing, so far as I can understand India, with Sir John Lawrence; but it is a question, I repeat again, which depends entirely on the peculiar effect it will have on the minds of the na- tives. If I should find that offering them religious instruction in con- nexion with the Government schools has the effect of disturbing them so much as rather to impede than advance our great object, I shall not conceive myself bound to adopt this measure ; but if we can make it plain that in the Government school, as in the missionary school, the pupils are free to choose their religion, then I conceive that that is a proposition that ought to be adopted by the Indian Government."
Resolutions were adopted commending the Association to the support of those opposed to the public encouragement of caste, all Government connection with idolatry, all disqualification of native Christians, and all restrictions on the spread of the Gospel in the East ; and expressing solicitude as to the future government of India, and a desire that a Policy might be pursued in conformity with the views expressed in Sir John Lawrence's despatch.
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