Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/637

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n. AFRICA.

ALGERIA.

(L'Algekie.)

Government, Revenue, and Army.

Algeria, the largest and most important of the colonial possessions of France, is entirely under military rule. The supreme adminis- tration is in the hands of a Governor- General, under whom are placed the whole of the civil and military authorities. The country is divided into three provinces, Algiers, Constantine, and Oran, which are subdivided into twelve departments, at the head of each of which is a Prefect. But the civil authority, in all cases, is subor- dinate to the military power, placed in the hands of officers in charge of five military districts, Aumale, Dellys, Medeah, Milianah, and Orleansville,and which districts are subdivided into military ' cercles/ The Governor-General is invested with large discretionary powers, both in civil and military affairs, and responsible only to the French Government. The salary of the Govern or- General was fixed, by Imperial decree of September 5, 1864, at 125,000 francs, or 5,000/. _ The financial progress of Algeria is shown in the following table, giving the revenue and expenditure at five annual periods : —

Years

Revenue

Expenditure

Francs

Francs

1830

250,059

18,000

1840

5,610.706

7,206,372

1850

19,632,271

27,959.358

1860

38,908,900

39.471,372

1865

42,221,927

47,470,363

The revenue of Algeria, in the year 1866, amounted to 42,223,000 francs, or 1,689,900/. ; and the expenditure to 47,470,300 francs, or 1,898,812/. The cost of maintenance of the army, the expenditure for public works, and other large sums disbursed by the Government