The subjoined table shows the amount of the public debt of British India, both that interest and not interest bearing, and distinguishing the debt in India and in Great Britain, in each of the ten financial years from 1871 to 1880: : The total debt in India and Great Britain amounted to 96,194,6427. on the 31st March 1869, and had increased to 151,728,0657. on the 31st March 1880. Not included in the latter total were 'obligations'including treasury notes and bills, service funds, and savings bank balances to the amount of 1,406,6207., bringing the entire liabilities up to 153,134,6851. The total interest on debt and obligations amounted to 4,954,0217. in the financial year 1879-80. The currency of India is chiefly silver, and the amount of money coined annually is large. In the ten financial years from 1871 to 1880, the value of the new coinage was as follows: On July 16, 1861, an Act was passed by the Government of India, providing for the issue of a paper currency through a Government department of Public Issue, by means of promissory notes. Circles of issue were established from time to time, as found necessary, and the notes were made legal tender within the circle in which they were issued, and rendered payable at the place of issue, and also at the capital city of the Presidency within which that place was situated. Under the provisions of further laws, consolidated by a statute known as Act III. of 1871, the issue was regulated in seven descriptions of notes, namely, for 10,000 rupees, or 1,000l.; for 1,000 rupees, or 1007.; for 500 rupees, or 50l.; for 100 rupees, or 101.; for 50 rupees, or 51.; for 20 rupees, or 21.; for 10 rupees, or 17., and for five rupees, or 10s. There are ten currency circles, the head-quarters of which are at Calcutta, Allahabad, Lahore, Nagpore, Madras, Calicut, Cocanada, Bombay, Kurrachee, and Akolah. (Official Communication.) The following were the total amounts of notes in circulation— calculated at 2s. the rupee-on March 31 in each year, soon after the introduction of the State paper currency : : Nearly two-thirds of the total note circulation are in the currency circles of Calcutta and Bombay. The circulation in Calcutta was to the amount of 6,436,5561., and in Bombay to the amount of 3,345,0677. on the 31st of March 1880. Army. The Act of Parliament which transferred the Government of India to the Crown, in 1858, directed that the military forces of the East India Company should be deemed to be Indian Military Forces of Her Majesty, and should be entitled to the like pay, pensions, allowances, and privileges, and the like advantages as regards promotion and otherwise, as if they had continued in the service of the said Company.' It was at the same time provided, that the Secretary of State for India should have all such or the like powers over all officers appointed or continued under this Act as might or should have been exercised or performed by the East India Company.' 6 The following table gives the established strength of the European and native army in British India-exclusive of native artificers and followers-on the 31st of March 1880: In the army estimates laid before Parliament in the session of 1880, the strength of the British Regular Army in India for the year 1881-82 was given as follows: : Returns of the year 1879 reported the combined armies of the native chiefs of India to number 305,235 men, with an artillery of 5,252 large guns. Hyderabad had 36,890 infantry, 8,202 cavalry, and 725 guns; Bundelcund 22,163 infantry, 2,677 cavalry, and 421 guns; Cashmere 18,436 infantry, 1,393 cavalry, and 96 guns; Gwalior 16,050 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, and 210 guns; Kattywar 15,300 infantry, 4,000 cavalry, and 504 guns; and Oodeypore, 15,000 infantry, and 6,240 cavalry. The rest do not exceed 11,000 men. Area and Population. The first general census of British India was taken during the years 1868 to 1876. According to the revised returns of this census, the total population numbered 191.096,603, living on an area of 899,341 English square miles, being an average of 212 inhabitants to the square mile. The following table shows the population of each of the divisions of India under direct British administration for that census, with the area and preliminary results of the census of February 17, 1881. The total population of British India in 1881 was thus not far from one-seventh of the population of our globe. Berar and Mysore are only temporarily under British administration. Mysore was handed over to the Native Government in March 1881. was amalgamated with the North-West Provinces January 1877. Oudh Besides the provinces of India under direct British administration, there are, more or less under the control of the Indian Government, a number of feudatory, or Native States, covering an extent of 573,516 English square miles, with 48,298,895 inhabitants. They are:Area: English Population Native States under Governor-General of India sq. miles North-West Provinces According to the last official reports, the native States exceed 450 in number. Various frontier countries, like Nepaul, merely acknowledge British superintendence; while others pay tribute, or provide military contingents. New States are gradually drawn within the tircle of British supremacy, either for the consolidation or the protection of the existing boundaries. The latest movement in this direction, towards the north-west, was the invasion of Afghanistan, a country of about the size of the United Kingdom, with an estimated population of four millions. Including the Feudatory states, the total area and population of British India according to the preliminary results of the census of -1881, are as follows: The following table gives the administrative divisions, the number of executive districts, and the number of villages and of inhabited houses of each of the presidencies and provinces of India under British administration, at the enumerations of 1868 to 1876: |