Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 2.djvu/239

 GOVERNMENT OF TUNIS. 195 intrigues and slruggles of all kinds which, together with political complications, culminated in the events of 1881. Accordingly, one of the principal clauses of the treaty which put an end to the indeiK?ndence of Tunisia, ntipulated for a financial reorganisation of the regency, *' assuring the administration of the public debt and guaranteeing the rights of the creditors of Tunisia." The revenues of the country were divided into two portions: one for the ordinary expenses of administration, the other and larger portion in security for the public debt of £5,500,000. A financial committee was appointed to represent the creditors, with power to supply any deficit from the State revenues, which for this purpose were placed under their control. The Government was even forbidden to make any reforms, create or change any taxes, issue new loans, or establish any public service without their consent ; and although this committee no longer exists, the interests of the creditors are none the less well protected. The chief revenues assigned to them are the custom-house duties, the tobacco, fisheries, and salt monopolies, the market dues in most of the towns, and the taxes ou the olive-trees in the Sahel and other districts. To the State is left the unpopular mejda, or poll-tax of twenty-two shillings a head, which falls chiefly on the poor, most of the rich having found means to evade it. Another burdensome tax is the kanun, which is charged on olive-trees, in addition to a tithe. In bad seasons the farmers have often cut down their trees to prevent the officers from claiming a tax they were unable to pay. The considerable recent increase of trade, the suppression of smuggling, the dismissal of over four thousand useless officials, and the strict enforcement of the custom-house duties, have all combined to restore order in the financial chaos; and it is even pretended that the receipts now more than cover the expenses, although the cost of the army of occupation and other claims of the French budget, represent nearly the whole value of the public income. The habbus, or church property, said to comprise one- third of the soil, is almost exempt from taxation, paying into the treasury little more than £4,000 a year. In 1885 the French invading force, considerably' diminished by the reinforcements sent to Tonkin, numbered eleven thousand men distributetl throughout the strategical ports of the country. The three military centre? arc Tunis, Susa, and Cabes, and in the interior the chief garrison towns are, Ain-Draham, El-Kef, Kairwan, and Gafsa. The conscription is in force in Tunisia, but the native army, modelled on that of France, is employed chiefly in parade service at the palaces of Marsa, the Bardo, and Goletta. In 1884 this army, which on paper consisted of several thousand, numbered in reality only 500 infantry, 25 cavalry, and 100 artillery; officers on the retired list are even more numerous than privates in active service. But the regular army is supplemented by bodies of tnakhzcn, spahis, and hambas, who act as policemen. In 1884 the Kulvgli, or Hanefiya irregulars, of Turkish origin, and the Zuawa (Zouaves), mostly Kabyles, were disbanded to the number of 4,000. The natural divisions of Tunisia are so clearly traced, that there has been little difficulty in selecting the chief strategical points. The whole of the lower Mejerda