Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/488

 144 thk niitTisH empire i—iJs^Di a and DEI^ENDEKCIES

1 Colj)S (1897-9.^.) NumbevB European Officers Non-Oonimissioncd Officers and Privates Total European Army. Royal Artillery .... Cavalry Royal Engineers .... Infantry .... Invalid and Veteran Establishment Staff Corps General List, Cavalry . General List, Infantry . General Officers unemployed . Total European Army Native Armv. Artillery ..... Cavalry Sappers and Miners Infantry Total Native Army . Total European and Native Army 491 261 347 1,508 5 914 9 52 29 12,916 5,409 158 52,180 9 13,407 5,670 505 53,688 14 914 9 52 29 3,616 70,672 74,288 European Officers Native Officers Non-Com. Officers & Privates Total 33 358 65 1,122 54 619 488 2,048 2,001 21,955 3,142 108,755 2,088 22,932 3,695 111,925 1,578 3,209 135,853 140,640 5,194 3,209 206,525 214,928

The Act of Parliament (56 and 57 Vict., cap. 62), passed in 1893 for the abolition of the Indian Presidency commands, came into force on April 1, 1895. On that date the military control hitherto exercised by the governors in council of Madras and Bombay ceased, and the following arrangements came into operation. The army in India now consists of the Punjab, Bengal, Madras, and Bombay commands, each under a lieutenant-general, who is under the direct command of the commander-in-chief in India, and under the control of the government of India. Since 1856, Avhen the Indian army consisted of 40,000 European soldiers and 215,000 natives, the numbers have changed to 74,000 European and 140,000 native soldiers ; and the concentration or mobilisation of troops has been greatly facilitated within the empire or on its frontier. A regular trans- port service now exists, and a method has been organised for the supply of animal carriage, hospital servants, and other field establishments sufficient to place a large army promptly in the field. The expenditure on special defences, amounting to upwards of Rx. 4,500,000, is now practically completed. Efficient coast defences, armed with modern breech-loading guns, have been provided for Aden, Kaiachi, Bombay, the Hugli, and Rangoon ; as well as seven first-class tori>edo boats, a new arma- ment for two torpedo gunboats, and a number of armed gunboats. Inland, a large sum has been spent on defences and militaiy establishments at Quetta