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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 10TH AUGUST, 1889.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 348.

The following is published for general information.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 10th August, 1889.

FREDERICK STEWART,

Colonial Secretary.

SCHOOL FOR MODERN ORIENTAL STUDIES

ESTABLISHED BY

THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE

OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE COLONIES AND INDIA,

IN UNION WITH

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE and KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON..

The commercial and official Classes in the United Kingdom, whose pursuits entail either tem-

porary

residence in, or visits to, Oriental Countries and communion or correspondence with the natives of those Countries, have long experienced the want of facilities which might be afforded by a suffi- ciently comprehensive public Institution, where a practical and colloquial acquaintance with the more important Modern Oriental Languages might be acquired.

In France, Germany, and Austria-Hungary, there exist Institutions of magnitude ontmportance, for affording instruction in the spoken and written Oriental dialects and in matters relative to the his- tory, commerce and political economy of the Countries in which those languages are

'In France, the. School of Living Oriental Languages, which was founded nearly 10 years ago, receives from the State the free use of a large building and a grant of over £6,000 permum; gra- tuitous instruction is there given in the chief Modern Oriental Languages, and a commercial section has recently been added to it by the Minister of Public Instruction.

The Imperial Oriental Academy of Vienna has long been of world-wide celebrity and has greatly contributed to the extension of commerce in Austria-Hungary, whilst in Berlin the Imperial German School of Living Oriental Languages, established a year ago upon a very important footing, has already received considerable development. This school is supported by, an annual subvention of £3,600, and the tuition there is entirely gratuitous.

Although the scope of action of the Imperial Institute, as defined by its Charter, does not embrace the exercise of actual educational functions, its Governing Body has considered that the creation and development of an organisation for providing, in the United Kingdom, the important aid to the Official and Commercial sections of the community which is furnished to Continental Nations by such esta- blishments as above named, might prove a work of considerable utility.

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There have existed at University College and at King's College, since their foundation, Professor- ships of certain Oriental Languages; the Indian School of University College on the one hand, and the Oriental section of King's College on the other, have accomplished useful work in the preparation of candidates for the Indian Civil Service and other Government Departments, by affording facilities for the study of some of the Eastern Languages.

The Committee of the Institute, having met with a cordial response from the Councils of the two Colleges, to a proposal to consolidate the work of this nature now being performed there, and to bring it into harmonious working with a scheme for affording practical instruction in other important Oriental Languages, now desire to direct attention to the results of a careful consideration of the whole subject by a Special Committee, appointed by them for that purpose, which includes representatives of the Councils of University and King's Colleges, and of which the following are the members

SIR FREDERICK ÁBEL, C.B., D.C.L., D. Sc., F.R.S. (Chairman).

Col. SIR EDWARD BRADFORD, K.C.S.I.

SIR FRANCIS DILLON BELL, K.C.M.G., C.B.

Col. SIR CHARLES WILSON, R.E., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.

SIR THOMAS WADE, G.C.M.G., K.C.B.

Maj. Gen. SIR FREDERIC GOLDSMID, K.C.S.I., C.B. SIR PHILIP MAGNUS.

Major C. M. WATSON, R.E., C.M.G. SIR GEORGE YOUNG, Bart., LL.D. PROFESSOR HENRY MORLEY, LL.D.) The REV. HENRY WACE. D.D. PROFESSOR R. K. DOUGLAS.

Nominated by the Council of University College. Nominated by the Council of King's College.