PRESIDENCY is the term by which, in India, the British designate the respective governments of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay. It has its origin in the circumstance of the administration there being conducted by a council, the governor for the time being holding the office of president.
The Presidency of Bengal (or technically Fort William in Bengal) has become so largely extended, as to require that the local government of parts of the original presidency should be delegated by • the Governor-General of the extended presidency to Lieutenant-Governors. The Bengal Civil Ser vants are disseminated throughout Northern and Eastern India,—in (1) the Lieutenant-Govern ment of Bengal Proper, in (2) the North-Western Provinces (of Bengal) and Oudh, (3) the Panjab, (4) Rajputana and Ajmir, (5) Central India, (6) the Central Provinces, (7) Hyderabad and Berar, (8) Mysore and Coorg, (9) Assam, (10) Munipur, (11) British Burma, (12) the Andaman and Nico bar Islands. All these distinct governments, under Lieutenant-Governors, Commissioners, Superin tendents, or Native Princes, with Political Agents as their advisers, are supplied with British officials from the Bengal Civil Service. and are subject to
the superior control of the Governor-General in Council. The Presidencies of Madras and Bombay cover the remainder of India, and have their own distinct Civil Services.
Although there are 14 separate government/ in Indta, including Madras and Bombay, the 12 divisions of Bengal Presidency have no corre spondence with the Secretary of State except through the Governor-General. Bombay and Madras, as separate presidencies, retain that distinction.
The three presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay have each an executive and a legislative council, over which the scn ior member, as Governor, presides ; and letters from the Court of Director], of the E. I. Company were addressed to ' our President in Council,' from which the three divisions Caine to be called the Bengal, Madras, and Bombay Presidencies. These councils are in direct communication with the Secretary of State for India, who is one of the principal ministers of Great Britain.