Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/932

 880 PRANCE : — ALGERIA

AFRICA*

ALGERIA.

(L'Alge r i e.) Government.

The government and administration of Algeria are centrali&ed at Algiers under the authority of the Governor-General, who represents the Government of the Republic throughout Algerian territory. With the exception of the non-Mussulman services of Justice, Public Instruction, Worship, and the Treasury, which are under competent ministers, all the services are under his direction. He has to prepare a special budget for Algeria, he grants concessions for works, and he contracts loans in the name of the Colony.

The budget of Algeria which, since 1901, has been entirely distinct from that of France, comprises under revenue the imposts of every sort which are collected within the Colony and under expenditure the whole of the civil disbursements. The expenditure on War and Marine is still at the cost of the mother country, as is also the burden of guarantees of interest on railways up to 1926. The budget, prepared by the Governor under the control of the Minister of the Interior, is discussed and voted by the Financial Delegations and the Superior Council. These Delegations were instituted in 1898 to enable the body of tax-payers to state their views on questions of imposts by means of elected delegates. There are three Delegations representing re- spectively the French colonists, the French tax-payers other than colonists, and the Mussulman natives. The Superior Council is composed of elected members and of high officials. Lastly, the Governor is assisted in the exercise of his functions by a purely consultative council of government.

The territories of the South, forming a separate colony, are each under a military command which directs all the administrative and civil services under the authority of the Governor. They have a budget distinct from that of Algeria. The natives are represented on the communal administra- tion. By the law of February 4, 1919, the position of French citizens is accorded to natives, above the age of 25 and monogamous, who served in the war, who are proprietors or farmers, who can read or write or hold a Fronch decoration. It is proposed to create in Paris a Consultative Committee on the same lines as the British Council of India.

The French Chambers have alone the right of legislating for Algeria while such matters as do not come within the legislative power are regulated by decree of the President of the Republic. Each department sends one senator and two deputies to the National Assembly.

Governor-General. — M. Abel, appointed July 29, 1919.

Area and Population.

The census of March 5, 1911, which is the last taken, showed a population (including the military forces) amounting to 5,563,828 on an area of 222,180 sq miles. The colony has been organised in 2 great divisions called respectively Northern and Southern Algeria. Northern Algeria consists as formerly of Civil Territory and Territoiro de Commandement, but the Civil Territory has been extended, while the Territoire de Commandement has been diminished and will before long be completely merged in the Civil Territory. Northern Algeria contains 17 arrondissements and 269 communes and 74 arc mixed


 * Sec also Morocco