Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/740

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MADOZ. 658 MADRAS. MADOZ, iiiii'dilli, rASCVAL (180G-70). A Spanish statesman and author, born at Pamplona and educated at Saragossa. After a residence in France, he began the practice of law at Barcelona, and edited the Diccionario gcogrd/ico unii-crsal (182(1-34), and a Colcccidn de causas celebres (1840). He became prominent in politics, was appointed a judge, and was elected a member .if the Cortes. There he opposed Espartcro, and ultimately became the leader of the Progressist Party. In 1854 he was Governor of Barcelotia, in 1855 was Jlinister of Finance, and in 1856, because of his liberal views, was obliged to leave Spain. Keturning, he was active in the Revolu- tion of 1868, was Governor of the Province of Madrid, and was a member of the Cortes. He died while accompanying the Spanish deputation to Home to offer the crown of Spain to Amadeus. His important Diccionario gcogrufico estadistico y historico de Espai'ia was published in 1848-50. MAD PARLIAMENT OF OXFORD. The name given by the adherents of Henry III. to the Parliament which assembled .June 11, 1258, at Oxford. In the attempt to obtain for his second son, Edmunil, the throne of ilanfred (q.v.) , King of Naples, Henry III. had become heavily indebt- ed to the Papacy. The barons, however, refused to grant the necessary money without a redress of grievances, and the King was compelled to give his consent for the appointment of a committee of 24, chosen half from the Royal Council and half from the barons. The latter the JIad Parliament elected, and the whole 24 then drew up the Pro- visions of 0.ford (q.v.). Consult Stubbs, Con- stilutianal History, vol. ii. (4th ed., Oxford, 1800). See MoxTFOBT, Simon de. MADRAS'. A province of British India, formerly the Presidency of Madras (Map: India, C 6). It occupies, together with its tribu- tary States, the southern part of the Indian Peninsula, being irregularly bounded on the north by Bengal and the Central Provinces, and on the northwest by Boml)ny. ilvsore. and Hy- derabad. The province under direct British ad- ministration is divided into 22 districts, with a total area of 141.726 square miles; population, in 1891, 35,630,440; in 1901, 38,209.430. The native States of Travancore. Cochin, Padukota, Karnul, and Bellary, politically controlled by Great Britain, cover an area of 9069 square miles; population, in 1891, 3.700,622; in 1901, 4,188.080. The surface consists of a high plateau land encircled by mountain ranges, the Eastern Ghats extending in a southwestern direction until they merge in the Xilgiris. which are connected with the Western Ghats (qq.v. ). A long and broad plain lies between the Eastern Ghats and the shores of the Bay of Bengal, generally known as the Coromandel coast (q.v.), and a narrow plain interspersed with lagoons extends between the Western Ghats and the ilalabar coast (q.v.) on the Arabian Sea. The principal rivers, the Godavery. Kistna, and Kavery, all rise in the Western Ghats, and traversing the plateau break through the Eastern Ghats and flow into the Bay of Bengal. The soil of the plateau generally is fertile and productive under irrigation: the coast lands are sandy and. except in the deltaic regions, sterile. The climate varies according to elevation; on the whole it is sultry but fairly healthful. While on the west coast the rainfall is usually excessive, in the interior it is gen- erally inadequate and its failure has been the cau.se of occasional famines; extensive irrigation works have been constructed in the attempt to modify this evil. Forests of teak, sandalwood, eucalyptus, ebony, and rosewood, under reserva- tion rules, cover about 18 per cent, of the sur- face. The chief wild animals are the elephant, gayal (a species of cattle), black leopard, and ibex. The principal minerals are iron, coal, copper, lead, antimony, and silver, while gold, garnets, and diamonds are found in paying quan- tities, and salt is largely manufactured on the coasts by evaporation. Agricultuke. Most of the inhabitants obtain a living from the cultivation of the soil. Un- fortunately, as already mentioned, the rainfall is so uncertain that only on the western or Malabar coast is it alwaj's adequate to the requirements of the growing crops. The uncertainty of the other portions is in a large measure obviated through the extensive practice of irrigation. This is especially true of the deltaic coast region north and south of the city of Madras, where the Gov- ernment has constructed enormous canals and dis- tributory sj'stems which afford a water supply for vast areas. Considerable areas in the more elevated interior regions have also been brought under irrigation through the construction of numerous reservoirs and the digging of a multitude of wells bv both public and private enterprise. Of a total area of 23,122,000 acres returned in 1900, as being actually cropped during the year, 5,783,- 000 acres were irrigated. Almost the whole of the irrigated land is given up to the cultivation of rice, the acreage for which in 1900 was 6,429,- 000. The great staple dry land crop is millet — 8,530,000 acres — though large quantities of other food grains and pulse are raised. Over a mil- lion and a half acres of oil seeds were grown and a somewliat less amount of cotton. Cattle and buffaloes take the place of horses as beasts of burden, and in 1900 numbered respectively 8.204,- 000 and 2,406.000. There were also 13,415,000 sheep and goats. Other Industries, Commerce, etc. The na- tive cotton manufacturing industry, which was widely developed in former years, has greatly diminished under foreign competition. Only 13,- 000 operatives were engaged in the eleven cotton mills operating in 1897. In 1899 but 73 es- tablishments were reported, with 32,300 hands employed. The manufacture of cigars has ac- quired some importance. In a few places ivory- carving has become important, and the old oc- cupation of metal-working still has a consider- able following. Salt is extensively produced along the east coast, but under a Government monopoly. Some indigo is manufactured. The trade of the province suffers from the want of adequate harbor facilities on the east coast.

Much of the trade is by rail to Bombay and

other large trading centres. The foreign trade about doubled in the last two decades of the nine- teenth century. Hides, coffee, rice, and indigo are the leading exports, and manufactured cotton goods, railway materials, and wrought metals are the leading imports. In 1897-98, 78 per cent. of the import trade and 43 per cent, of the export trade was with the United Kingdom. Inhabitants. Most of the inhabitants belong to the Telugu and Tamil branches of the Dra- vidian race, and profess some form of the Hindu religion. The Mohammedans number 2,250,000,