CONTRAVALLATION

(Lat. vallum, trench.) In Fortification, a trench guarded by a parapet, formed by the besiegers between their camp and the place besieged, to secure themselves and check the sallies of the garrison. The line of contravallation is thus, as the name implies, a sort of counter fortification. CONTROL, BOARD OF, or BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR THE AFFAIRS OF INDIA, is constituted under the authority of Mr. Pitt's celebrated Act, pa ed in 1783. It consists of such members of the privy council as his Majesty is pleased to appoint, of whom the two principal secretaries of state and chancellor of the exchequer always form three. The president is usually a cabinet minister. The controlling functions of the board consist in revising all despatches prepared by the court of directors and addre ed to the governments in India. It also has the power of requiring the court to prepare despatches on a given subject, and revising and altering them. The board is divided into six departments, — accounts, revenue, judicial, military, secret political, and foreign and public. The names of the first four indicate their duties: the third has three subdivisions, — the secret departments, respecting confidential communications addre ed (as the act prescribes) by the local governments to the secret committee of the court of directors, and vice vers a; the political, comprising general correspondence respecting native chiefs and states; the foreign, respecting foreign Europe ans and Americans resorting to India. The public department takes charge of commercial, ecclesiastical, and other miscellaneous affairs. The salary of the president of the board is 3500/., that of a paid commi ioner 1200/., of the secretary 1.500/. [s. 291]