Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/496

* CENTRALISTS. 424 CENTRAECHID^. revolutions in SpanisJi-Aiiieriuan countries. See C)EXTR.JZAT10-N ; also Me.mco. CENTRALIZATION. In political theory, a term used to denote the tendency on the part of a eentral autliority to reserve to itself increasing powers of legislation and administration, ilore strictly interpreted, the word centralization is eajjahle of hearing a double meaning. It may signify the complete unilication of a political entity as opposed to a loose assemblage of quasi- independent members. In this .sense we speak of a strongly centralized federal goverinnent as opposed to a mere confi'deration of States. In this sense, too, the term might be used to de- scribe the la. organization of the mediieval State in which the element of nationality was practically made impossible by the feudal sys- tem. In its second meaning, centralization in a State already completely unilied would describe the concentration of governmental functions in the supreme Government in matters even of local interest. In no State, of course, is there any example of an absolutely centralized government, since in the nature of things some degree of power must be delegated to authorities provin- cial, nuinicipal, and local, and thus in Kussia, which stands as a type of autocracy, we find large powers of self-government enjoyed by the rural commimcs especially. In proportion only as the tendency toward centralization is stronger than the spirit of local self-government, can a government be spoken of as centralized or not. In ancient Rome the mtniicipia possessed a very large measure of self-government under laws emanating from Komc. At the same time, so far as the broader aspects of government were con- cerned, the Empire was thoroughly centralized and was ruled from the Urbs as a unit. In the jyiiddle Ages the power of the central govern- ments, wherever there were such, was naturally small, and the privileges of provincial division.?, towns, and communes ])roi)ortionately large. Powers which are at present conceded to be within the province of the sovereign, even in the least centralized of modern States, such as the administration of public charity and public edu- cation and of justice, were, during the ^Middle Ages, relegated to the clergy and the territorial lords respectively. The growth of modern States has been in fact simply a great centralizing movement, but in certain countries the process of centralization has been more complete than in others. England stands as a type of the first class in which a way seems to have been found for reconciling a strong central organization with wide powers of local self-government. France may be taken as a type of the seccmd class, where the administration even of com- munal alTairs is in large measure regulated by the central Government. In general, it may be said that the Latin countries, in which the traditions of the Roman Empire and the in- fiuence of the civil law are most strong, are more highly centralized than the northern nations of Europe. The extreme tendency on the part of a government to arrogate to itself functions be- longing to small groups of inhabitants may, when applied to individuals, assimic the char- acter of paternalism or State socialism. CENTRAL PARK. See New York City. CENTRAL PROVINCES. A chief-commis- sionership of British India, created in 18C1, and embracing the former Province of Xagpur, the two territories of Sagar and Xerbudda, and other territories added since (Map: India, D 4). It is bounded by the Central India Agency and Chota-Xagpur on the north. Orissa on the" east, Madras ou the southeast, and Hyderabad. Bcrar, and Bombay on the southwest" and west. Its total area is 115,!);jti square miles, of which the portion under direct British administration con- tains 8(!,17 square miles. The surface is covered with numerous hilly ranges, among which the chief, the Satpura range, enters from the west, ruis in an easterly direction, and has numerous oll'shoots. The northern part l>clongs to the basin of the Xerbudda and forms a valley of about 10.- (iOO square miles, with an aviMage elevation of 1000 feet above sea-level. The portion south of the Satpura range is watered by the ardha, Wainganga, and the ilabanadi rivers, and con- tains most of the cultivable land of the province. -VII of these rivers, are navigable for some dis- tance except during the dry season. The climate is hot and drv. and the rainfall is generally .satisfactory, but "tlic soil absorbs the moisture so quickly that artificial irrigation becomes necessary in cultivation, and this is sup- plied mostly by tanks. Of the total area of the British possessions in the provinces, onlv about one-f<nirtb is cultivated, while the rest is either unfit for cultivation or covered with forests and jungle. About one-third of the total area under cultivation ccmsists of rice-fields, while the re- mainder is under wheat and other food grains, oil-seeds, and cotton. The mineral deposits eon sist chiefly of coal and iron. The manufacturing industries are but little developed and consist chiefly in the ])roduction of cotton goods and iron articles. The Central Provinces are traversed bv two almost parallel railway lines in the north and in the south, connecting Bombay with Cal- cutta and Allahabad. The administration consists of a chief com- missioner assisted by a secretary- and a number of commissioners in charge of different depart- ments. The British possessions are divided into the four divisions of Xagpur, Jabalpur, Xer- budda, and Chhattisgarli, each in charge of a conunissioner. The tributary States are fifteen in number. Education is ])artly aided by the Government and partly private.' There " are about 2300 schools of all kinds, of which <inly 300 are in the native States. The population" of the Brit- ish territory was 10."84,2<)4 in 1801, and 9.845,- 318 in 11)01. The native States had a population of 2,100.511 in 1801 and l,!is:i.400 in 1001. Xearly 82 per cent, of the population is IIin<lu: over 10 per cent. .Animistic, and the remainder is made up of Mohanunedans, Jains, and Chris- tians. The chief town and seat of administra- tion is Xagpur (q.v.). CENTRAL STATE. Kansas. See St.tes. PoiMi.Ait X.ii;s or. CENTRAL STATIONS. See Electric LnaiiiM:: and Tki.kimione. CENTRARCHID^, sfn triir'kide (Xeo- Lat., from Gk. Ktvrpov, ketitron. spine -{■ apx^i, un-hos, anus). A family of fresh-water fishes of Xorth America. It includes the various bass, sunfish, etc., all fishes of regular, well-balanced form, marked by a spot on the operculum. There are about thirty .species, all ganiey and voracious.