Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward
Sir : A small pamphlet of 88 pages has just been published, entitled “Notices Abregeés sur la Regence de Tunis, par Charle Cubisol,” a copy of which, through the courtesy of the author, who is our vice-consul at the Goletta, I hereby forward by mail to your excellency, and I am also authorized to draw from its pages such statements as may be likely to prove of interest to the department. Though Mr. Cubisol enjoys superior facilities for collecting commercial and statistical information, he reminds us that, on account of the difficulty and sometimes impossibility of strict accuracy, some of his statements are to be received only as an approximation to the truth. The following statements are drawn from his book :
The city of Tunis contains 100,000 persons, of whom 70,000 are Mussulmen, 20,000 Jews, and 10,000 Christians. The principal branches of industry in this city are the manufacture of woollen coverlids, of silk shawls and scarfs, of silk and woollen burnouses, and of red caps. The average annual importation to this city, by way of the Goletta, amounts to $3,600,000, and the exportation to $3,200,000. The total population of the regency is 2,000,000, divided according to their religion thus: Mussulmen, 1,929,000 ; Catholics, 25,570 ; Protestants, 20 ; Greeks, 410 ; Jews, 45,000.
The regular army of the Bey consists of 5 regiments of infantry, 15,000 men; 2regiments of artillery, 6,000 men; 1 squadron of cavalry, 500 men; marines, 1,000 men; total, 22,500 men.
The irregular army consists of Korouglis, (soldiers of Turkish origin,) 6,000 men; Zouaves, 2,000 men; Spahis, (light-armed for scouts,) 4,500 men; total, 12,500 men.
Total regular and irregular army, 35,000 men. The annual cost of the regular army is 81,000,000, and of the irregular army $125,000.
The Tunisian navy consists of steamships as follows :
Built of wood.—Frigate Sadakia, screw, 300 horse-power, 16 cannon, 350 men; advice boat Eased, screw, 160 horse-power, 6 cannon, 80 men; advice boat Begi, wheel, 140 horse-power, 6 cannon, 75 men.
Iron framed.—Sloop Mansour, screw, 120 horse-power, 8 cannon, 95 men; advice boat Chedlia, wheel, 180 horse-power, 6 cannon, 75 men; advice boat Bechér, screw, 180 horse-power, 4 cannon, 75 men; gunboat Hares, screw, 50 horse-power, 4 cannon, 65 men; gunboat Makersi, screw, 50 horse-power, 4 cannon, 65 men; transport Bourni, wheel, 30 horse-power, 15 men; transport Sef, wheel, 30 horse-power, 15 men; pleasure boat Barak, screw, 6 horsepower, 8 men; aggregate, 1,246 horse-power, 54 cannon, 918 men.
Four wooden sail ships lie in the docks in a state of decay.
The annual expense of the navy and arsenal is estimated to be $375,000.
Telegraphic wires, which extend nearly 400 miles in different parts of the regency, belong to a French company. The Tunisian government supplies the needful ground and houses for the offices, and the company is responsible for all its expenses. This telegraph affords easy communication with Algeria and with Europe via Biserta and Marsala, in Sicily.
There is steamboat communication between Tunis and Marseilles via Philippeville and Bona, and 48,000 letters and 24,000 journals are annually received at the post office in the French consulate by this route. There is also a weekly steamer from Genoa, via Leghorn and Cagliari, which brought to the Italian post office, in the year 1866, 25,000 letters and 8,000 journals.
[Page 108]Annual income of the Tunisian government.
| Nature of the collections. | Piastres. | Dollars. |
| Taxes on products of the country sold at various markets in the regency | 9,207,000 | 1,150,875 |
| Taxes collected on different rents | 4,445,000 | 555,625 |
| Custom-house revenue | 1,442,000 | 180,250 |
| Taxes upon date trees in the Grereed, Gabes &c. | 2,500,000 | 312,500 |
| Taxes upon the olive trees of the Sahel, S’fox, Gerba aud Gabes | 2,500,00 | 312,500 |
| Dime tax upon the olive trees of Tunis, Solimon, Menzel Bizenta, Zowan, Zebourba, &c | 1,625,000 | 203,125 |
| Taxes upon the same for the throne | 450,000 | 56,250 |
| Tax for the inspection of the trees | 300,000 | 37,500 |
| Dime tax upon the wheat and barley | 2,100,00 | 262,500 |
| Poll tax of 16 piastres each, upon 36,000 men | 10,800,000 | 1,350,000 |
| Rent of government lands | 800,000 | 100,000 |
| Taxes for investiture of 24 caids and 36 sheiks | 7,245,000 | 905,625 |
| Total | 43,414,000 | 5,426,750 |
Annual expenses of the Tunisian government
| What the expenses are for. | Piastres. | Dollars. |
| Army | 8,800,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Arsenal and navy | 3,000,000 | 375,000 |
| The Bey and his retinue | 2,000,000 | 250,000 |
| The princes of the royal family | 1,000,000 | 125,000 |
| The ministers | 1,000,000 | 125,000 |
| The irregular army | 1,000,000 | 125,000 |
| The investiture of caids and sheiks | 500,000 | 62,500 |
| Various other provisions | 3,500,000 | 437,500 |
| Interest on various loans | 19,200,000 | 2,400,000 |
| Total expenses | 39,200,000 | 4,900,000 |
| Total income | 43,414,000 | 5,426,750 |
| Annual balance in favor of government | 4,214,000 | 526,750 |
* * * * * * * * *
Vey respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward Secretary of State Washington, D. C.