1 LORD LANSDOWNE IN LAILORE, 613
2 vator to till his fields in peace and contentment. The native chiefs of the
3 Panjdb showed their appreciation of these schemes by offers of co-opera-
4 tion in carrying out the policy of Frontier defence, by placing at the dis-
5 posal of the Government the entire resources of their dominions and by
6 making offers of large sums of money, as their contributions towards the
7 outlay to be expended on the scheme. Never was there a more spon-
8 taneous outburst of loyalty ; and the offers made were indubitable proof of
9 the deep interest which the feudatories took in maintaining British supre-
10 macy and of the extent to which they had identified themselves with the
11 true interests of the paramount power.
12 Lord Dufferin fostered education and afforded encouragement to train-
13 ing in technical subjects. With reference to this last subject, His Excel-
14 lency said, at Lahore, in reply to an address presented to him by the
15 National Mahomedan Association, on the occasion of his visit to the capital
16 of the Panjab, in November, 1888, that his attention had been particularly
17 struck by the fact that the present system of popular education in India
18 was too exclusively liberal in its aims, and failed to produce young men
19 able to earn their living by devoting themselves to the arts, handicrafts
20 and sciences. ‘“ Endeavours are now being made,” said His Excellency, in
21 addressing the, assembly, “ to remove this reproach against our present prac-
22 tice, by the introduction of a system of technical education which shall run
23 in parallel lines with, and be supplementary to, the literary course.”
24 As observed by Lord Dufferin, a considerable advance towards bringing
25 a scheme of this nature into operation has already been made in the Panjab.
26 Lord Dufferin took a, keen interest in Municipal reforms, He was a friend
27 of the Local Self-Government scheme, and was anxious to give full play
28 and every advantage to the working of those Municipal institutions which
29 his illustrious predecessor had so liberally enlarged and strengthened. He
30 insisted on sanitary and. prison reforms, instituted careful enquiries with
31 a view to the amelioration of the condition of the people, granted faci-
32 lities for emigration and made beneficial recommendations for the re-organi-
33 sation of the public service.
34 On the 23rd of November, 1889, the capital of the Panjab was honoured
35 by a visit from His Excellency the Marquis of Lansdowne, Viceroy and
36 Governor-General of India. His Excellency was welcomed at the Railway
37 Station by some of the ruling chiefs of the Panj&b and a large concourse
38 of ladies and gentlemen. The Municipal Committee presented him with
39 an address of welcome, to which his Lordship replied in terms suitable for
40 the occasion. “ After a somewhat -protracted ‘tour, ” observed His Lord-
41 ship, “ throughout the Frontier Districts of this Province, it afforded plea-
42 sure to him to find himself in its capital city, which, from its historical asso-
43 ciations in the past, and from the position which it occupied to-day, was the
44 centre of the political life of the Panjab, and entitled to the utmost respect
45 of those who were concerned in the Government of India,”
46 On the 25th, His Excellency formally declared open the buildings of
47 the Lahore Mission College. In reply to an address read to His Excellency
48 by the Principal of the College, Lord Lansdowne felt there was every reasou
49 for looking forward with confidence to the future of the Institution, and
50 believed that “the foundations upon which it was built were sure and solid.”
51 The same day, Lady Lansdowne performed the ceremony of laying the
52 foundation-stone of a new Female Students’ Boarding-house, in course of
53 construction in connection with the work of the Countess of Dufferin Fund.
54 eons Committee of the Panjab Branch of the Countess of Dufferin
55 fund has alread g. rk in the Province.. as_assisted th
56 ‘ Sri Sfgutu fait Sh Ntibraty ° lee Vine a dhanelD yO gma
57 Loyalty displayed by
58 the rulng chiefs of the
59 Panjab.
60 The services of Lord ,
61 Dufferin.
62 His Lordship on the
63 subject of technical
64 education.
65 The visit of Lord
66 Lansdowne to Lahore,
67 1889,
68 The opening of the
69 building of the Lahore
70 Mission College.
71 Laying of the foun-
72 dation-atone of the new
73 boarding-house for
74 female students,
75 rary@ gmail.com