The Ely miner., 1912-03-01

which will affect S200000O human beings and
an area as large as that of France or Germany.
The province of Bengal, which partitioned
by Lord Curzon in 1905, against the violent
protest of it's people, and which has been the
headquarters of the sedition in India ever
since, is to be reunited. The great divisions
Of Behar Chota Nagpur and Orissa, which now
belong to Bengal, although their populations
are distinct in race and language, will be de-
tached from Bengal and form new province
under the control of lieutenant governor and
council. Assam is to be separately admins
tered by chief commissioner, as was the case
prior to 1905. Lastly, the province of Bengal
is to be raised to the rank of a presidency
(after the example of Madras and Bombay
with a governor from England appointed by the
king
1t is hardly exaggeration to say that
10 such sweeping administrative change as
this has taken place since the British crown
took over the government of the country from
the East India company at the close of the mu-
tiny in 1858. AS to the motives which prompt
ed the move there is conflict of opinion. The
nationalists regard it as a victory for their
cause. They consider that the modification of
the partition of Bengal-which the English au.
thorities have repeatedly declared would never
be altered-is confession Of weakness on the
part of the government, and some of the lead
the government transferred the capitol to Delhi
because Calcutta had got too hot to hold it,
On the other hand, the dispatches which passed
between Simla and London, which have now
been made public, contain array of practical
arguments in favor of the change, which sue
cessfully disposes of any theory that the gov
ernment was driven to the measure as the re-
suit of seditious agitation. In less troublous
times the move would seem justified on plain
A ic INST ho
considered as bold experiment which is ad-
mirable in theory, but which in practice can
only be justified by success
Curiously enough, its first effect has been
precisely the opposite of what was expect
ed. 1t was thought that the Mohammedans
would hail with joy the establishment of
the central government in the ancient cap
ital OF the Moghul emperors. On the con-
trary, they have been the first to denounce
the arrangement, declaring with true In
dian perversity that sentimental considera-
tions mean nothing to them in comparison
with the loss of their political power In the
abolition of the province of Eastern Bengal
It Is not the Mohammedans, but their ances-
tral foes, the Rajputs, who welcome the es-
tablishment of the capital within easy reach
Of their territory. The Bengalis too, who
were expected to resent the loss of prestige
to Calcutta involved in the transfer have de-
by the wished-for union of the Bengali peo-
pie. The Hindus in Eastern Bengal have been
lighting bonfires for a month past in celebra-
tion of the event So far as can be ascertain
ed the inhabitants Of the newly created prov
ince Of Behar and Orissa are pleased at their
release from Bengal domination. Bombay the
Punjab and the United Provinces are sensible
of the advantages that will accrue to them for
geographical reasons The rest of India is in
different
Delhi Is regarded by the government as
better place for capital than Calcutta, be-
cause of it's historic traditions, central To-
cation, and better climate, which will en-
aple the viceroy and his staff to reside
there for all but four months of the year On
the other hand, it is more removed from the
commercial interests and active life of modern
India. Europeans in Calcutta have not hes
tated in declaring that it will be little better
than "Simla of the Plains" The rearrange-
rent of the provinces will make for greater ad-
ministrative efficiency though that again is
criticized the ground that the modification
Of the partition of Bengal is a useless con-
cession to agitation that was already prac
tically dead while it win undo all the good
work which has been started in the backward