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colleges, with the exception of those of the Ripon College. His underlying idea perhaps was the creation of a central law college that would serve as a model of efficiency fit to compare favourably with the great law colleges in England and America, but this might have been done by insisting upon a higher standard of efficiency in the law classes in the private colleges, and without their actual disaffiliation. A healthy competition contributes to educational efficiency, and anything approaching a monopoly is injurious to the public interests.

It is impossible to leave this reference to Sir Ashutosh Mukher- jea's work as a member of the University without lamenting the grievous loss which the cause of education in Bengal and India has sustained by his early death, almost immediately after his retirement from the Bench. He was a unique figure in the educa- tional world of Bengal and it will be difficult to fill his place. The numerous demonstrations held in his honour, all over the province, bore testimony to the universality of the national sorrow.

In 1901 I ceased to be a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. I stood for a seat in the Imperial Legislative Council the same year. The rival candidate was the present Maharaja of Darbhanga. I was defeated. The circumstances that led to my failure were peculiar. There was a tie between the Maharaja and myself, each counting five votes. The matter went up to the Government of India. Under the Council Regulations, the Govern- ment was bound to pass orders within two months of the polling. The Government of Lord Curzon violated this rule. It did nothing for three months, and ordered a re-election when I had ceased to be a member of the Bengal Council and could not record my vote in my favour.

It was a piece of diplomatic strategy, opposed to the rules in force and to all considerations of fairness, the effect of which was to exclude me from the Governor-General's Council. I had stood for a seat in the Imperial Legislative Council several times before, but I had always been defeated; and I fear that official influence was exerted against me. A friend of mine, who came from Behar and whom I helped to be returned to the Bengal Council, assured me that he would have voted for me, but that he could not disregard the request of a high official who had spoken to him on the subject. I think the fact was published at the time in the newspapers, with- out, of course, the names of the parties concerned.