

KK ANTE. 



207 



phates were from 70 to 100 francs. The Radicals 

 in the Chamber raised a discussion which resulted 

 in the dismissal of corrupt officials and the cancel- 

 lation of several concessions. There was a general 

 demand that this valuable product should be pre- 

 served for the benefit of the colony and of French 

 agriculture, and export duties were proposed for 

 i'-ting its shipment to foreign countries. An- 

 other suggestion was for the Government to acquire 

 all the rights that had been alienated and work the 

 phosphate deposits as a monopoly, furnishing the 

 quantity required by French and Algerian farmers 

 at '-3 of 3 francs a ton. It was estimated that 

 1 -,.i ii (0.000 or 20.000.000 tons could be extracted an- 

 nually for centuries to come. The total value of 

 the general imports in 1894 was 265,134,026 francs, 

 of which 199.319.483 francs came from France and 

 t'>5>!4.543 francs from foreign countries and French 

 colonies. The total value of the exports was 265.- 

 713.2S5 francs, of which 2l3.s4s.2!*7 francs went to 

 France and 51.864.988 francs to foreign countries 

 and French colonies. The special imports were 

 valued at 250.300,000 francs and the special exports 

 at 242.100.000 francs. 



The local revenue in 1896 was estimated at 53.- 

 015.019 francs, viz., 12.472,649 francs from direct 

 tax- >. ll.ii!'5.300 francs from registration and 

 stamps 16.250.100 francs from customs. 5.267.450 

 francs from monopolies, 3.002,300 francs from do- 

 mains and forests.1.022.040 francs from other sources. 

 and 3.305.180 francs rt-cetfes d'ordre. The budget of 

 expenditures is 74.010,620 francs in detail, 2,806,- 

 450 francs for justice. 11.795.868 francs for the in- 

 terior. 7.616.691 francs for instruction, 1,491.190 

 francs for agriculture, 33,169.975 francs for public 

 works, 696.078 francs for other departments. 15.- 

 400,068 francs for regie, and 1.034,300 francs for 

 repayment. Algeria still costs France about 75.- 

 000,000 francs per annum, including 56.000,000 

 francs for the army. 16.000,000 francs for railroad 

 guarantees, and 3.000.000 francs for other charges. 



Tunis. Though nominally a part of the Otto- 

 man Empire, the regency of Tunis has been ad- 

 ministered by France since 1881. The minister 

 resident acts under instructions from the Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs. The resident in 1896 was R. P. 

 Millet. The Bey of Tunis is Sidi AH. born Oct. 5, 

 1817. who succeeded his brother on Oct. 28, 1882. 



Tunis has an area of about 45,000 square miles 

 and a population estimated at 1.500.000, composed 

 of Bedouin Arabs and Kabyles. The city of Tunis 

 has 153.000 inhabitants. The revenue in 1895 was 

 estimated at 22,480,000 francs, derived from land 

 taxes, customs, monopolies, and State domains. 

 The estimate of expenditure wa< 22.436.924 francs. 

 The debt was consolidated in 1884 into a perpetual 

 4-per-cent. rente of 6.307.520 francs a year. In 1896 

 a new loan of 40.000,000 francs was authorized for 

 public works, to be guaranteed by France. When 

 France absorbed Tunis, it had got into financial 

 difficulties through the loans raised by the beys, a 

 small part of the nominal amount of which reached 

 the treasury, and was applied to useful purposes. 

 The bondholders then received 5 per cent., but with 

 the French guarantee they are now content with 

 3 per cent. The savings from the conversion have 

 regularly been devoted to public works, enabling 

 roads to be made at the rate of 150 miles a 

 year and railroads to be extended. The new loan 

 was intended for roads and railroads and the con- 

 struction of dams and aqueducts. Though Tunis 

 has prospered under French administration, the 

 benefits have not gone to French colonists or resi- 

 dents, of whom there are only 10,000. against 25.000 

 P^uropeans of other nationalities. The city of Tunis 

 contains only 3.000 French inhabitants', whereas 

 there are 7,000 Maltese and 8,000 Italians. The 



Italians are largely preponderant, which accounts 

 for the fact of the keen resentment felt still in 

 Italy against the French occupation. French 

 nisi< are desired, and inducements are held out to 

 them. Half fares on steamers and railroad- 

 offered to intending settlers. Farms of from 100 

 to 130 acres are offered at 12 to 30 francs an acre, 

 two years being allowed for payment. Although 

 slavery is abolished, natives may be engaged to work 

 on shares, receiving a hut, implements, and seeds, 

 and handing over three fifths of the crop. 



Agriculture is the principal industry. Barley 

 was grown on 472.960 hectares, and wheat on 4ii4.'- 

 050 hectares in 1894. The product of olive oil in 

 1893 was 9.617.000 hectolitres. Italians are en- 

 gaged in the fisheries, producing anchovies, sar- 

 dines, sponges, and sepia. The total value of the 

 imports in 1894 was 41,922.715 francs, and of the 

 exports 36,932.766 francs. Besides dates, olives are 

 the staple product of the country. France derives 

 40 per cent, of its olive oil from Tunis. The olives 

 are crushed a second time, yielding wagon gr 

 and then pressed into fuel bricks with an admix- 

 ture of turpentine. There are many vineyards, 

 some of large extent with admirable equipments 

 belonging to firms in France. The olive and the 

 grape crops are alike liable to loss or destruction by 

 the sirocco, and grain crops to drought and locusts. 



Great Britain in the convention with Tunis of 

 July 19, 1875, waived a perpetual treaty of com- 

 merce which places it on the same footing with 

 France, agreeing that either party might call for a 

 revision of the treaty after seven years. In the 

 Anglo-French agreement of Jan. 15, 1896, relating 

 chiefly to Siam and the upper Mekong. England 

 agreed to open negotiations immediately for the re- 

 vision of the Anglo-Tunisian treaty. A new treaty 

 between Italy and Tunis, concluded in October. 

 1896. signifies the renunciation of the hopes and 

 designs of Italy against France in Tunis, and re- 

 moves the standing cause of friction and animosity 

 between the former allies and the incentive that 

 led to the long and disastrous economic difficulties 

 between them. The convention of commerce and 

 navigation gives to Italy the privileges accorded to 

 the most favored nation, and opens the ports of 

 both countries to the coasting vessels of both. 

 France reserves the right to reduce tariff duties at 

 will. A consular convention virtually abolishes 

 the capitulations, and reserves to the Italian consul 

 only the right of appearing in the tribunal when 

 Italians are interested. A convention of extradi- 

 tion puts the Italians in Tunis on the same footing 

 on which they are in other countries, abolishing the 

 right that the consul has hitherto possessed of 

 arresting Italian fugitives from justice without ap- 

 pealing to the tribunals. The Italian schools and 

 hospitals remain under Italian direction, but they 

 pass under the jurisdiction of the local authorities 

 in regard to police and sanitation. All other spe- 

 cial privileges enjoyed by Italy are abolished. 



The new general tariff, which converts ad valo- 

 rem into specific duties and is a copy of the maxi- 

 mum tariff of France, went into force on Oct. 16 to 

 countries having no commercial treaty. England 

 under her commercial treaty pays 8 per cent, ad 

 valorem, and under the most-favored-nation treat- 

 ment this extends to Austria. Italy. Russia, and 

 Switzerland, all of which had entered into agree- 

 ments to recognize the right of French imports to 

 exceptionally low tariffs, to be settled later. Sub- 

 sequently Germany, Holland, and Spain made like 

 arrangements. 



Indo-C'hina. The dependencies of Cochin- 

 China. Tonquin. Annam. and Cambodia have been 

 brought partly under the central control of a Supe- 

 rior Council, which fixes the budget of Cochin- 



