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Writes that since he wrote to Canning on 11 Feb he has seen 2 letters from Mr Erskine about Normal Schools which he would have probably seen before, if the Secretaries had not been trying to save Elphinstone trouble while Canning was with him. Sends copies of the letters, and a letter from Bishop Hartmann about Roman Catholic grievances with a pamphlet (marked in margin Miscellaneous Book Number 278).

Enclosed: 1.Letter from the Office of the Director of Public Instruction to W Hart, Secretary to Government General Department, 21 Jan 1856, Bombay, reporting great difficulties in Guzerat and the Southern Mahratta Country in obtaining competent masters in schools. A comprehensive plan for the institution of Normal Seminaries will be submitted, but cannot be put into operation for some time to come. Recommends a plan put forward by the Educational Inspector of Guzerat, for the formation of classes of candidate masters at Ahmedabad, Surat and Dharwar, gives some details.

2. Letter from the same to the same, 26 Jan 1856. Urges the adoption of Sir Erskine Perry's plan for two Normal Seminaries, at Ahmedabad and Poona, with some details.

3. Letter from Bishop Hartmann, 5 Feb, thanking Lord Elphinstone for his kindness in recommending the cause of the Military chaplains to Canning. Explains part of his Memorial complaining that some funds left specially for Catholic orphans, and other funds left for orphans in general, have been so applied that Catholic orphans can only share in the benefit of the funds by the abandonment of their faith. The Martiniere at Calcutta virtually excludes all Catholics from the Institute. No Catholic is entrusted with the dispensing of funds of the District Charitable Society, though the bequests to the Society were for the most part made by Catholics. The Lawrence Asylum was raised by subscription for the orphans of the soldiers who fell in the Afghan war; more than half the orphans were Catholics, yet Catholics are not allowed to remain in the Asylum; this is generally true of all Government Establishments for military orphans.