rovinces. In 1833 the British Parliament authorised the division of the territories of Bengal into two distinct presidencies; the one retaining the title of the Presidency of Bengal, and the other to be styled the Presidency of Agra. Subsequently the sanction of the legislature was obtained for the suspension of the contemplated division, and for the appointment, during the interim, of a lieutenant-governor of the districts which were intended to constitute the separate presidency of Agra. The seat of the new government has been fixed in the city of Agra, and from this circumstance the officer charged with the administration is usually styled the Lieutenant-Governor of Agra. The extensive territory subject to his jurisdiction is bounded on the north and north-east by the tract known as the Cis Sutlej territory, and by the native state of Nepaul; on the east and south-east by the kingdom of Oude and by some of the lower provinces of Bengal; on the south by the dominions of the Rajah of Nagpore and those of the Nizam, and on the west by the native states of Central India. It is 720 miles in length from north-west to south-east, and 310 in breadth in the direction of the opposite angle; and extends from Lat. 21.17. to Lat. 31.6., and from Long. 73.2. to Long. 84.40. It has an area of 101,241 square miles, and a population of upwards of twenty-five millions. The geographical divisions of this vast tract comprise, 1st, The thirty-one north-western provinces of India, usually denominated the "Regulation Provinces," most of them larger than English counties, and in all of which the general code of laws passed by the British government in India since 1793 is in full operation; 2d, The province of Kumaon, the Deyrah Doon, the Saugur and Nerbudda territories, and other large districts, wherein, though justice is administered in the spirit of the code, considerable discretion rests with the superintending functionaries to dispense with the letter of the law, when the claims of equity may appear to require such a course; 3d, Sundry petty native states whose defence from external aggression has devolved upon the British government, but in regard to which that government has pledged itself to abstain from all interference in the internal administration. Statistical and geographical particulars in respect to these states and the non-regulation provinces will be found detailed under their respective names in the alphabetical arrangement. The Regulation Provinces before mentioned occupy the valleys of the Jumna and the Ganges. Here the country is flat and open; little chequered by the interchange of hill and dale; and for the most part bare of trees; but to the south of the river Chumbul, and also towards the western frontier, it rises into hills, and is interspersed with jungle. Owing to the elevation of the ground, the climate for the greater part of the year is temperate, and in the winter months, especially during the night, it becomes actually cold. The general character of these districts affords great facilities for purposes of irrigation. They are intersected throughout their entire length by two great rivers, the Ganges and the Jumna, which derive their sources from the Himalayas, and the drainage of these mountains has been made extensively available by the construction of canals which traverse the land in various directions. Sugar and rice are less largely cultivated than in the lower provinces of Bengal, but cotton is a valuable article of produce, and the export of opium and indigo is annually increasing. The mineral productions are not remarkable; nor do the animals differ in any respect from those found in other parts of Hindostan. A coarse description of cotton cloth is the principal article of manufacture, but no great quantity is exported. The natives are a robust and handsome race of people, and consist of a mixture of Hindoos and Mahometans.

The experiment of a separate administration for these provinces has been eminently successful. Such a result might indeed have been reasonably anticipated. None but servants of the East India Company are eligible for the office of lieutenant-governor; and as the local authorities must obviously be the best judges of the character and qualifications of their respective functionaries, the choice of the individual to discharge its arduous duties was wisely committed to the government of India. Opportunity is thereby afforded for promoting the ablest public servant without reference to the ordinary principle of seniority. That the right of selection has been discreetly exercised may be inferred from the fact, that Agra is popularly denominated "the Model Government" of India; and a passing notice of one or two of the series of comprehensive measures which of late years have been adopted for the improvement of the condition and the elevation of the character of the people, may suffice to show that the title has not been conferred unworthily. We will first advert to the new land revenue settlement. In this part of India, the land is held in the most minute subdivision by the agricultural classes, and the entire breadth of the Regulation Provinces has recently come under government survey. Every separate holding was then measured, and an official record compiled, in which are detailed the boundaries and extent of the farm, the quality of the soil, the name both of landlord and tenant, the government revenue at which the former is assessed, and the amount of rent payable by the latter. The actual condition of the landed property of the country, together with the relations of landlord and tenant, and the rights and obligations of both parties, having been ascertained and defined, ample means are now possessed for the adjustment of all disputes affecting real property; and as the land in India is the great source of litigation, these records have rendered the administration of justice both simple and effective. The government assessment is levied with equity and moderation—a part only being taken of the surplus constituting the rent. The remainder furnishes an income to the landholder, who has thus the means of effecting improvements, while, moreover, his property acquires a marketable value. Another great work to which it may be proper to draw attention, is the government plan of education. The system of registration which has been sketched was devised for the protection of the rights of the community. The registers are open to public inspection; but owing to the prevailing ignorance of the first elements of learning, these records proved, in the first instance, but a sealed book to the great bulk of the community. The majority of the population, it was discovered, were unacquainted with the simplest rules of arithmetic and land measurement, and unable, for the most part, to read or write. The people knew that they were in possession of valuable rights, and they felt that these rights were liable to be defeated solely because they were unable to define them. A desire for knowledge was suddenly manifested, from the conviction of its necessity to the general weal, and the lieutenant-governor was not slow in availing himself of so favourable an opening for educating the community. A scheme of instruction, admirably adapted to the exigencies of the agricultural classes, came into operation in the year 1848. Its design is to aid the efforts of the people in acquiring so much knowledge as is sufficient for the ordinary purposes of life: it contemplates the fulfillment of this object by the means of indigenous schools scattered over the surface of the country. Where a school is wanted, the villagers are assisted in building one; where the superintendence is defective, the government provides a competent instructor; where books are needed, they are supplied from the stock of vernacular literature prepared and printed by the government. The agency for carrying out the plan consists of a series of government model-schools, with two grades of school-visitors, superintended by a visitor-general. The course of education comprises reading, writing, arithmetic, and land measurement; and when practicable, geography, history, and other subjects, are superadded.

These measures, worthy of a paternal government and an enlightened age, clearly mark the difference of character between British and native rule. Under the Hindu dynasties the social fabric was upheld through the power and influence of privileged classes. The Mahometans, who succeeded, ruled for their own advantage, with little regard to the interests of their conquered subjects, and class legislation prevailed. It is only under British administration that the wants and interests of the masses have been permitted to occupy any share of the attention of the state, and to the government of Agra must be awarded the honour of having been foremost in recognizing their paramount importance.