" Gentlemen, you observe in the statement before us a refer-
ence to the grant of ten lakhs of rupees made by Lord Elgin's
Government. That grant was made to some extent as a solatium
for what the Province had suffered in the way of suspended public
works and also to enable this Government to carry out certain
material improvements of a non-recurring character for which
funds might not in the usual way be soon procurable. Hitherto
less than two lakhs out of the ten have been spent, but the works
on hand will cost about two lakhs more, so that about six lakhs
will remain out of the grant. From that sum I propose to
expand the medical buildings at Agra, so as to provide suitable



Digitized by



Google



( 157 )

accommodation for the treatment of diseases of the eye, and for
instruction in ophthalmic surgery. I propose to aid in the build-
ing of hostels at various colleges, so that students i?iay be saved as
far as possible from the dangers of city life. The statement tells
you that I have given some contributions towards the mainte-
nance of the great architectural remains at Agra, Fatehpur-Sikri
and elsewhere, but I think that the claims of modem shrines
should not be altogether overlooked. It will, I think, be in
harmony with your wishes, and consonant with public feeling, if
some moderate contribution from public revenues be made from
time to time for the repairs of famous mosques or temples in daily
use, when the worshippers at these shrines are unable, unhelped, to
execute such repairs. In this way I have undertaken the repairs
of a mosque at Agra, and I propose, if the Trustees agree, to con-
tribute to the repairs of the Jama Masjid at Lucknow. I may
add that the cost of the Civil Courts at Lucknow will not come
out of this grant ; and in this connexion I wish to say, with re-
ference to the remarks which have fallen from the Mahdrdja of
Ajudhia, that, while it is my hope that Lucknow will always be the
seat of the Chief Appellate Court for Oudh, whether that be a
Judicial Commissioner's Court, or a Chief Court, or a Bench of the
High Court, I cannot, of course, give an assurance on that point
BO near the feelings of all Oudh Taluqdars.
