General Gonse.--“There is no date. It must have been written toward
the month of August, since there is a question in it of a note about
Madagascar.”
M. Labori.--“Just now General Gonse made use of the phrase: ‘A note on
Madagascar,’ as a basis for saying it was certainly very serious, since
in the month of August a very serious note on Madagascar was made;
and now he makes use of this date, August 10, to fix the date of the
_bordereau_. This is a begging of the question.”
General Gonse.--“Permit me. I do not give the date with absolute
certainty. I know only that the _bordereau_ reached the department at
the end of September. We suppose that it must have been written toward
August.”
M. Labori.--“At what date was the important note on Madagascar drawn up
in the department?”
General Gonse.--“In the course of the month of August.”