Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/244

 122 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — INDIA AND DEPENDENCIES

appointed by the Governor-General, with the approval of the Crown ; the Chief Commissioners by the Governor-General in Council.

The Governors of Madras, Bombay, and Bengal and the four Lieutenant- Governors each have legislative councils of their own. The Legislative Councils of the provinces are constituted as follows : Madras, 48 members (20 official, 26 unofficial, 2 experts) ; Bombay, 48 (18 official, 28 unofficial, 2 experts) ; Bengal, 50 (17 official, 31 unofficial, 2 experts) ; United Provinces, 48 (20 official, 26 unofficial, 2 experts) ; Bihar and Orissa, 42 (17 official, 23 unofficial, 2 experts) ; Punjab, 26 (10 official, 14 un- official, 2 experts) ; Burma, 17 (6 official, 9 unofficial, 2 experts).

Although all the provinces are under the control of the Government of India, they enjoy much administrative independence varying with their importance. Each province is usually broken into divisions under Commissioners, and then divided into districts, which form the units of administration. At the head of each district is an executive officer (collector, magistrate, or deputy-commissioner), who has entire control of the district, and is responsible to the governor of the province. Subordinate to the magis- trate (in most districts) there are a joint magistrate, an assistant-magistrate, and one or more deputy-collectors and other officials. There are 267 of such districts in British India,

The control which the Supreme Government exercises over the Native States varies in degree ; but they are all governed by the native princes, ministers or councils under the political supervision of a resident, or agent, in political charge either of a single State or a group of States. The chiefs have no right to make war or peace, or to send ambassadors to each other or to external States ; they are not permitted to maintain a military force above a certain specified limit ; no European is allowed to reside at any of their courts without special sanction ; and the Supreme Government can exercise any degree of control in case of misgovernment. Within these limits the more important chiefs are autonomous in their own territories. Some, but not all of them, are required to pay an annual fixed tribute.

A new Native State was constituted in 1911, comprising the greater part of what are known as the "Family Domains" of the Benares zemindari. The parts affected are Bhadohi or Korh, a compact and homogeneous tract lying between the Ganges and the Bama, in the Mirzapur district, and Kera Mangraur, or Chakia, a large tract in the same district. The native state thus formed has an area of 887 square miles and a population (1901) of 362,000. The Maharaja is Sir Prabhu Narayen Singh.

Local Government.

There were at the end of 1910-11, 715 municipalities, with a population of about 17 millions. The municipal bodies have the care of the roads, water supply, drains, markets, and sanitation ; they impose taxes, enact bye-laws, make improvements, and spend money, with the sanction of the Provincial Government. Their aggregate income in 1910-11 was about 4,600,000l. exclusive of loans, sales of securities, and other extraordinary receipts. By the Local Self-Government Acts of 1882-84, the elective prin- ciple has been extended, in a large or small measure, all over India. In all larger towns, and in many of the smaller towns, the majority of members of committees are elected by the ratepayers ; everywhere the majority of town committees consists of natives, and in many committees all the members are natives. For rural tracts, except in Burma, there are district (197 in 1910-11) and local (521 in 1910-11) boards, which are in charge of roads, district schools, and hospitals. Their aggregate income, including debt items, was about 3,250,000l.