<P> Bienerth's last act as premier in May 1911 was the appointment of a commission nominated by the Emperor, to draw up a scheme of administrative reform . So early as 1904 KOrber had declared a complete change in the principles of administration to be essential if the machinery of State were to continue working . After seven years of inaction, however, this imperial rescript was pitched in a far lower key . The continuous progress of society, it said, had made increased demands on the administration, that is to say, it was assumed that reform was not demanded so much by the defects of the administration but by the progress of the times, not because the administration was bad, but because life was better . It was an attempt to reform the administration without first reforming the State on equivalent lines . </P> <P> A reform commission without a programme naturally first occupied itself with reforms about which there was no controversy . After a year had gone by it drew up "Proposals for the training of State officials". After another two years it had indeed brought to light carefully prepared material for study, which was of great scientific value; but its proposals . though politically of importance, did not provide any basis for reform on a large scale . And so when the World War broke out the commission dispersed without practical results, leaving behind it an imposing array of folio volumes of great scientific value . It was not till March 1918 that the Seidler Government decided upon a programme of national autonomy as a basis for administrative reform, which was, however, never carried into effect . </P> <P> Since 1867 the administrative and political divisions of the lands belonging to the Hungarian crown have been in great measure remodelled . In 1868 Transylvania was definitely reunited to Hungary proper, and the town and district of Fiume declared autonomous . In 1873 part of the "Military Frontier" was united with Hungary proper and part with Croatia - Slavonia . Hungary proper, according to ancient usage, was generally divided into four great divisions or circles, and Transylvania up to 1876 was regarded as the fifth . In 1876 a general system of counties was introduced . According to this division Hungary proper is divided into seven circles, of which Transylvania forms one . The whole country is divided into the following counties: </P> <P> (a) The circle on the left bank of the Danube contains eleven counties: (1) Árva, (2) Bars, (3) Esztergom, (4) Hont, (5) Liptó, (6) Nógrád, (7) Nyitra, (8) Pozsony (9) Trencsén, (10) Túrócz and (11) Zólyom . </P>

The creation of the dual monarchy of austria-hungary