Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/640

Rh under the Lieutenant-Governors,' says;—"Reductions were carried out in the Berhampore, Krishnagar and Sanskrit Colleges, which provoked some expression of dissatisfaction among the upper and literate classes of Bengal. Sir G. Campbell's policy was to reduce the number of Colleges educating up to the highest point, concentrating in the remainder improved means of the highest education. The reduced Colleges were not abolished, but were still efficiently maintained to teach to the point to which experience proved that the greatest demand existed i.e. up to the First Arts standard."

It was this too excessive economical policy of his government that led him to resolve upon making a monthly saving of 650 rupees from the establishment charges of the Sanskrit College by the abolition of the posts of the Professors of Smriti and two professors of English. This resolution threw the whole country in a state of great agitation. Protests and oppositions were raised from every quarter, but without the desired success. It was, however, finally settled that the Smriti department should be placed under the tuition of the Professor of Rhetoric. The Bengal Government had previously asked Vidyasagar for his opinion on the point, and he had opposed the retrenching policy. But still, it was stated in Government resolution published in the Calcutta Gazette, that in this matter Vidyasagar's opinion had been taken. The people of the country very naturally