partly of a Court of Directors chosen by East Indian stockholders. A Secretary of State for India (always a member of the Ministry for the time being) is now the main organ of the Queen's rule over the Indian Empire. He is assisted by a permanent UnderSecretary of State, not in Parliament, and by a political Under-Secretary of State, who, if the Chief Secretary is a Peer, is required to be a member of the House of Commons, and who usually goes out of office on a change of Ministry. The Secretary acts also in co-operation with an Indian Council in England, consisting of fifteen members who may not sit in Parliament. They hold their seats in the Indian Council during good behaviour. 1

Practically the most important change as to the actual workers of the machinery of Government in India has been the general alteration in the mode of appointing new members of the Indian Civil Service. Formerly these appointments formed part, and not the least valued part, of the patronage enjoyed by the East India Company's Directors. Their nominees, and their nominees only, filled up (after a short period of study at Haileybury College) the vacancies that occurred from time to time in India. But all this has been done away with. The

1 An epitome of the chief clauses of the Act for the Better Government of India' has been given at p. 255, supra. Clauses 7 to 28 inclusive relate to this Council.

Imperial Parliament, by the Act for the Better Government of India (21 and 22 Victoria, cap. 106, section xxxii.), required that appointments to the Indian Civil Service should be thrown open to all natural-born subjects of Her Majesty, and that candidates should be appointed according to the order of their proficiency as shown by the results of competitive examination.

This system has ever since been maintained; nor is it likely to be departed from. I do not think that it has had the effect, which some predicted, of bringing into the Indian Service a number of men inferior to the old writers as to social position, as to refinement, and as to high feeling. The nominees of the Directors were generally youths who came from the higher sections of the English middle classes. So do most of the successful candidates in the new examinations. The expense of the early education, and of the subsequent cramming, which are almost indispensable for success, is too heavy to be defrayed by those who are low down in worldly circumstances.

It is said, with far more truth, that the new system does not send up a supply of men of the very highest order of intellect. There are two reasons for this. One is that men of first-rate intellect and energy will generally prefer an English to an Indian career. The other reason is that, as a rule, competi

tive examinations bring to the front not the men who know their subjects most profoundly and comprehensively, but the men who can put upon paper in a limited time the greatest display of knowledge, so as to get most marks.

However, this seeming evil of the competitive examination system is not without countervailing advantages. This last-mentioned class of men-men who can promptly, lucidly, and artistically utilise their mental resources (which they cannot do without a fair share of self-confidence)-are likely to make better men of business, to face difficulties more boldly, and to find solutions of them more readily, than men, who are more profound in thought and who are laden with more learning, but who are somewhat slow and irresolute in action. Of course, it is best

1 I can best illustrate this by an example from real Anglo-Indian life. In Mr. Kaye's History of the East India Company, p. 452, there is a sketch of a gentleman who was appointed one of the Board for administering the Punjab soon after its conquest, and who proved unfit for the task. 'He was a man of a thoughtful nature; and, I am inclined to think, of an original turn of mind: but he was not one to put his ideas with much promptitude into action. He was somewhat wanting, indeed, in energy and activity; and his abilities, though of a very high order, found more congenial employment in a settled than in a new country. He was not quick enough, and enthusiastic enough for the work that lay before him.'

This gentleman would hardly have succeeded in a competitive examination. On the other hand, the 'Competition Wallahs,' even if they have not very high intellect, or any original turn of mind, are likely to exhibit the faculties which the conquering Romans are said to have admired most in statesmen, the faculty of being first

to have, if possible, a combination of profound knowledge and of versatile readiness; but that can hardly be expected of the whole, or of the majority of a numerous body. And, for the general duties of Indian administration, the readiest men, if also fairly well-informed, will generally be found to be the most effective.

rate men of business, and the faculty of combining Daring with Discretion :-Πραγματικώτατοι καὶ σὺν νῷ τολμηρότατοι.

*

CHAPTER VI.

THE AUSTRALASIAN COLONIES.

Extent of Australasia-Climate-Population-List of ColoniesNew South Wales: its early History-Sheep Farming-Convict Labour - Transportation abolished-Representative; and Responsible Government-Present Constitution- Population— TradeGold Fields-Coal Mines-Probable Future-Victoria: its origin as Port Phillip District - It becomes a separate Colony - Rapid Progress-Area - Climate Population-Gold Fields-Constitution-South Australia: its Extent, &c., and Natural Resources-Its Constitution - Western Australia: its Extent, its Ill-fortune, its recent Representative Institutions Queensland: its Extent, Climate, Capabilities, Constitution-Tasmania: its Discovery, Convict Settlements, Constitution, Area, &c.-Its backward Condition. -New Zealand: its great Natural Advantages-Infested by European Adventurers and Outlaws - Interference of the English Government-High Capabilities of the Natives-Colony foundedRapid Progress of European and Decline of Maori PopulationNew Zealand Wars-Present Constitution.

SOUTH EASTWARD of our Indian possessions we see conspicuous on the map the huge land of Australia, called by some an island, because the sea surrounds it, but termed by others, more justly, a continent, on account of its magnitude; inasmuch as its area comprises more than 2,500,000 square miles. Near its south-eastern extremity lies Tasmania or Van Diemen's Land, an island of 26,215 square miles in area. To the east of Tasmania lie the three islands which are known collectively by the name