Page:The European Concert in the Eastern Question.djvu/219

 assigned for the service of the Debt will be settled annually on the 25th October.

XX. When the revenues of the unassigned provinces and Administrations have been less than the amount of expenses settled by Art. XVIII of this Law, the Treasury of the Debt must levy on its surplus, and pay to our Ministry of Finance, the sum necessary to complete this amount.

When the revenues of the unassigned provinces and Administrations have exceeded the amount of the expenses above-mentioned, the excess shall be paid to the Treasuiy of the Debt.

XXI. The possible surplus in 1885 and 1886 on the total of the revenues assigned and unassigned, after the service of the different debts and of the public expenses, as laid down in the above Articles XVII and XVIII, are provided for, will be deposited in the Treasury of the Debt until the 15th April, 1887.

At that date a distribution of such surpluses will be made by the Commission of the Debt amongst the holders of the certificates mentioned in Articles XII and XIV.

If there is a surplus, it will be assigned to the repayment of the reduction of ½ per cent. effected on the interest of the Suez Canal shares.

If the surplus is insufficient to provide entirely for these different repayments, the surpluses of subsequent years shall be applied to the same object.

Every surplus which is not used for these repayments shall be divided equally between the Budget of the administrative expenses of the Government and the service of the sinking fund.

XXII. The money destined for the sinking fund in virtue of the preceding Article will be to the amount of ₤E. 87,750 (90,000l.) employed exclusively to the redemption of Guaranteed Loan.

The surplus will be assigned to the redemption of the other debts in the manner which has been established by the Law of Liquidation, and by the contracts concluded between our Government and Messrs. de Rothschild.

XXIII. All the debts mentioned in Art. LXVI of