I,AXD TENURE AND COI^ONIZATION 97 



Italian citizens and those assimilated to them are subject to Italian 

 lav/. Colonial subjects and those assimilated to them are judged according 

 to the rules of Mussulman law {sceno) in force in the colony- and custo- 

 mary native law (testur), and according to the various religious prescrip- 

 tions and customs. The colony must submit its own balance-sheet to the 

 approval of Parliament by the medium of the Minister of the Colonies. 

 By a royal decree of 4 July 1910 no. 592 (i) the administrative order of the 

 colony, which regulated in particular and in detail the military and civil 

 staff (duties, admission, promotion, leave, prospective and actual, discip- 

 line, allowances) was approved. Finally by a governor's decree of 5 May 

 and 30 November 1910, published in the Bollettino ufficiale delta Somalia 

 italiana (Nos. i and 5) the distribution and organization of government 

 offices was determined. 



The colony's territory was divided into zones, at the head of each of 

 which was a commissioner's office (2). The political and administrative 

 direction within the zones of their respective jurisdictions belongs to the 

 district commissioners on whom the residents depends. The zones are con- 

 stituted as follows : 



1. District of High Juba 



2. " " High Uebi Scebeli 



3. " " Middle " 



4. " " Goscia and of Low Uebi Scebeli. 



Each district is divided into residencies and vice-residencies, the num- 

 ber of which grows every year and which are instituted as soon as the 

 political conditions of the various zones are such as to render the extension 

 of the direct administration and of Italian authority useful and opportune. 



The governor exercises his function through the medium of the govern- 

 ment office and the residents. 



In accordance with the governor's decree of 5 May 1910 No. 488, the 

 following are within the competency of the governor's office : 



1. The direction of civil affairs ; 



2. Consultation, namely a) legal consultation, b) consultation as to 

 public works, c) as to agricultural works. 



The suppression of the office of the agrarian direction of Mogadiscio 

 (governor's decree of 6 May 1910, no. 491) was contemporaneous with the 

 nomination of a consultant on agricultural works who should be a member 

 of the government. 



There are also in the colony offices for the direction of matters of health, 

 civil engineering, the port, the customs and the Post Office. Commercial 

 inspectors may be assigned to places outside the colony's boundaries. 



(i) Gazzetta ufficiale del Regno, 18 August 1910 no. 192. — BoUetino ufficiale della So- 

 malia Italiana, 31 August 1910, no. 2. 



(2) Cf. The Decrcto governatoriale of 15 January 1912, no. 814, which approved the rules 

 for local district administration (Bollettino ufficiale della Somalia italiana, 31 Jan. 1912, ni . i). 

 For the institution of district commissariats see the Dccreti governatoriali , 3 May 1910, No. 488 

 and 6 April 19 12. 



