The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-26 00:00:00

THE FRENCH IN ALGERIA.

Now that the Budget is on the point of being dis-
cussed, the Siecle calls on the Deputies to direct their
attention to the situation of Algeria with a view to
effecting some change in the present situation of
the colony. The system acted on relative to the
landed property in that country has been one
great cause, our contemporary affirms, of the fright-
ful misery which has lately fallen on the Arab
populations. The Sonatus-Consultum of April 22,
1863, in conceding all the lani to the natives,
seemed of a nature to protect the ocupants for ever
from want, but now that the five years have elapsed
—now, that facts have demonstrated that a great
error has been fallen into, will it not be prudent,
the writer asks, to examine why the measure
determined on in 1863 has proved so entirely ilia-
,
cacious. Our contemporary then goes on to say :
" Two things were required to be done in Algeria.
Itwas
in the state in which it was placed under the
Turkish accessaryue s,
t either to leave the native property
that is to say, in usufruct under the
rules,
supreme control of the Government ; or to courage-
ously undertake a radical reform and transform the
land into individual estates capable of being sold,
exchanged, or mortgaged at the will of the proprie-
tor. To divide the whole territory of French
Africa between two millions and a half of inhabi-
tants; to carefully examine the rights of each indivi-
dual, and hand over special title deeds to each, was
certainly a gigantic work, which it would have been
madness to attempt. What might and ought to
have been done was to commence this important
operation in tile tribes nearest to the European esta-
blishments, little by little—slowly, it is true, but
surely—the Arab soil would have been transformed

into real property
(that is to say, saleable and ex-
changeable), according as the assimilation of the
French and the natives became more complete.
illas that been done ? Certainly not ; what has
been effected we learn by Marshal de M'Mahon's
report, and we must declare that the labours
hitherto accomplished are of but small utility.
What was necessary for the Arab we have said,
and we repeat, was the full possession of his
land ; every reform that did not tend to transform
the collective property into individual was of no
use. But, in five years, the Commissions specially
charged with the delimitation and repartition of the
soil of Algeria among iti inhabitants have arrived,
after immense labour, in recognising—here,
1,132,921 hectares (2i acres each) of property
called melk; there, 1,024,039 of land termed arch;
further, 263,901 described as beylick. Truly,.
that is an important work accomplished, and the
Marshal leads us to hope that, at the rate things
are progressing, the whole of Algeria will soon be
divided in the same manner by the laborious com-
missions which hitherto have performed wonders !
The Governor-General, after going into ecstacies
over the millions of hectares of melk, arch, or bey-
lick, with which the colony is endowed by authentic
decrees, ingenuously avows that individual property
has not only not been created, but, still more,
never can be. At first sight,' he says, the best
course would seem to be to give to each his lot of
ground and his title-deeds. That course would
—without, however, placing laud in much
saleto destroy family-ties,
sale, because it would
be
eettteor condition
too
cutincounedbit
n forup—tend
and place in the hands of every holder a piece of
soil of so small an extent that it would not be
worth cultivation. But la that case what was the
use of the Senates-Consultum ? Why have de-
prived colonisation of the lands which aro neces-
sary for it ? To what purpose employ considerable
sums in this survey, if dealings in estates are
not rendered free between the natives and
the French? lVith your fine names, which
the commissions have recognised by thousands
of hectares, have you prevented the Arab from
dying of hunger ? have you facilitated the
means for his raising a loan on his fields to purchase
the seed which fails him ? Have you enabled him
to sell a plot of ground to realise the capital neces-
sary for the cultivation of another portion ? No,
you have not ; and the task you- have undertaken,
from the moment it does not tend to give the'same
rights to Arab property as to Franoh, i 5 a 11581058