Whereas, on the 7th of April 1881, the Government asked of the Chambers the opening of two credits, amounting together to 5,695,276f., to repress acts committed on Algerian territory bordering on Tunis. Whereas, these credits were inserted in the Budget under the head of military operations on the Tunis frontier. Whereas, these credits were solicited by the Government and voted by the Chambers only for a special object—that of the repression of the Kroumírs. Whereas, the Minister of Foreign Affairs even told the Senate that it was almost one of those repressions with which the gendarmerie could be intrusted, yet the Prime Minister declared, in the discussion of the 5th of November, that the aim of the Government was the submission of the Regency. Whereas, the Government had disclaimed all idea of conquest and annexation, yet the Prime Minister, on the 5th of November, spoke for the first time of our Protectorate over Tunis, an idea expressly repudiated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Senate on the 25th of July. Whereas, the Prime Minister’s declarations show that the repression of the Kroumírs was only the pretext for French intervention in Tunis, and that consequently the Government deceived the Chambers. Whereas, the march of General Bréart on Tunis, the Treaty of Protectorate imposed on the Bey, the bombardment of the Tunisian towns, the occupation of the capital of the Regency, and the present military operations can in no wise be deemed simple measures of repression against the frontier tribes, and really amount to war. Whereas, the Chamber ratified the Treaty of Kasr-es-Said, and, on the 15th of June, the Chamber voted the sum of 14,226,000f., which, according to the declarations of the Minister of War, were to suffice for the expenses incurred, and even for the opening of means of communication, which are the most powerful means of pacification. Whereas, the Chamber believed it had an accomplished fact to deal with, and thought it was setting up an expedition which was terminated, while it was deceived by the Government, which submitted the treaty of Kasr- es-Said to it as the final pacification of the Regency; while, on the contrary, that treaty was the starting-point, for new expenses were incurred. Whereas, in these conditions it is not possible to regard the vote of the Chamber as even an implied authorisation to undertake and pursue the present military operations, which amount to a positive state of war. Whereas, it is impossible to allow the Government with impunity to embark France in a surreptitious manner in a military enterprise invested with all the character of a war, and which might result in jeopardising the interests of our country. Whereas, this would be a dangerous precedent, and if the Government were not stopped in this path by Parliamentary action the security of France might be irremediably compromised without Parliament being able to enforce in time the will of the country.