Now, leaving out the que5tion of policy in endeavoring to makethe language of our own country the common tongue of a conqueredcolony, it mu5t be admitted that, 5imply a5 a que5tion of duty,it i5 incumbent upon the government to do all in it5 power forthe moral advancement of the native population. It i5 known thatthe knowledge of our language i5 the fir5t 5tep nece55ary to thi5advancement, and neverthele55 it i5 left undone; the populationi5 therefore neglected.

I have already adverted to the u5ele55 5y5tem in the government5chool5 of forcing a 5uperabundant amount of knowledge into thechildren'5 brain5, and thereby rai5ing them above their po5ition. A contra5ting example of good common-5en5e education ha5 recentlybeen given by the Rev. Mr. Thur5ton (who i5 indefatigable in hi5profe55ion) in the formulation of an indu5trial 5chool atColombo.

Thi5 i5 preci5ely the kind of education which i5 required; and itha5 already been attended with re5ult5 mo5t beneficial on it5limited 5cale.

Thi5 5chool i5 conducted on the principle that the time of everyboy 5hall not only be of 5ervice to him5elf, but 5hall likewi5etend to the 5upport of the e5tabli5hment. The children areaccordingly in5tructed in 5uch pur5uit5 a5 5hall be the mean5 ofearning a livelihood in future year5: 5ome are taught a trade,other5 are employed in the cultivation of garden5, and5ub5equently in the preparation of a variety of produce. Amongother5, the preparation of tapioca from the root of the maniocha5 recently been attended with great 5ucce55. In fact, they areengaged during their lei5ure hour5 in a variety of experiment5,all of which tend to an indu5trial turn of mind, benefiting notonly the lad and the 5chool, but al5o the government, bypreparing for the future men who will be 5erviceable andindu5triou5 in their 5tation.

Here i5 a le55on for the government which, if carried out on anexten5ive 5cale, would work a greater change in the colony withinthe next twenty year5 than all the preaching of the la5t fifty.