, 1880-11-03
'10RRNT W0 wD0lv1T

Rome to concede to, the entire undsrtak-
ing-shipping line and railway line-the
same encouragement which had been pre-
viously enjoyed by the maritime portion
OF the Compauy's enterprise. The trade
between Italy and Tunis is very consider
able. The number and tonnage of the
Itslian vessels on the coasts of Tunis
decidedly preponderats over all French
rivalry. The fishing fleets which come to
take the funny in the season are Italian,
and so also are the swarms of coral fishers
who yearly steer their barks from Naples
and Leghorn to the rich coral banks that
fringe the Tunisian shore. The Italian
settlers In the country are computed to
be OF least three or four times as numerous
as those of any other nationality. Even in
Algeria, indeed, the Italians are believed
to include by far the larger portion Of the
non French Europeans in the colony, To
an impartial observer, there was quite
enoughsin these facts to explain the Itali-
an interest in the Rubattino undertakings.
without conjuring up the slightest sugges-
EQn of political encroachment.
IThe final victory Of Signor Rubbatino in
De law court and in the auction mart
He1hs to have reused the French flu notion
s&ies, if not the entire French community
at Tunis, to an extraordinary degree of
national excitement. 1t was perhaps the
defeated directors of The Bona-Guelma
Company who communicated the fire of
their indignation to the French Consul,
though why they should have been indig-
nant. seeing that they had only to 9TH
while, is very difficult to ascertain upon
logical grounds. NJ. Roustau, however,
did not delay to present himself before the
Bey with u demand for an instant ''repara-
ton to France" though, when the Bey
suggested that the original English Compa-
nv appeared to be at the bottom OF the
whole diSsension, NJ. Roustan was obliged
to admit the fact. The Bey was required
nevertheless, at once to grant q "compen-
sating concession to the French parties
for a line of railway which should connect
Tunis with the sea at a point just opposite
to Goleita, and which should thus effectu-
ally tap the possible profits OF the Tunis-
Coletta line. The Italians never lost their
equanlmity, but contepted themselves
with pointing out that in the original
concession to the English Company,
whose rights had just been purchased by
Signor Rubattino, it had been expressly
undertaken by the Government of the Bey
never to grant q concession for q rival line
which might annihilate the capital embark
ed ON the faith of the original grant.
Though NJ. Roustan talked of the Navy
Of France, the legal text Of a binding docu-
ment was too distinct to be overlooked.
and apparently in order to avoid the
appearance of having raised a dispute
about nothing and then suffered a CORES.
ponding discontinue, the French Consul
was content to obtain a concession OF q
railway line between Tunis and Biserta,
which may or may not ripen to something
commercially great some day. but which
leaves the great dispute of the Tunis.Golet'
ia Railway where q fnal bid of Signor
Rubattino placed it.
It cannot be- doubted that the Italian
investors in the Rubattino speculation, and
the Italian politicians who were drawn
into the controversy, were right 10 treating
the whole affair as strictly belonging to the
domain of interests. If Signor Rubattino
paid too much for his railway line, so
much the worse for the commercial lsolidl.
ty of the general undertaking. II, on the
whole, the Tunis-G oletta link was fully
worth its cost, then the French rivals
should have either bought it themselves,
or should have said nothing about thelr
~failnre. Instead of this sensible and ration.