New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-27
SIGNING THE ACT.
TRIBCLATIONS OF TIE ANTI-SLAvERY CON.
GRESS

GRESS
PROM Az OCCASIONAL CoRREsroSDEN: OF THE rnrprx,,
Brussels, July 3
The comedy of the Congress has been enacted
with great success. II was reserved like the best
of wine for the last Of the feast, and il was well
worth waiting for. 1t all turned upon the highly
important matter of signing the General Act,
which embodies the results Of the Congressional
deliberations More than a week ago il was an
parently all settled. The text of the General
Act had been made public The opposition Of
the Dutch representative had been Withdrawn
most tactfuy Everybody was satisfied and every.
| thing was lovely 1t was agreed that the docu-
ment should be signed on Monday, and tele-.
graphic message TO that effect was sent TO the
King of the Bclgians at Ostend In order to wind
mp the business Of the Anti-SIavery Congress with
distinction, tic following programme was ar
ranged: On Saturday June 2S, there was TO he
formal ratification and actual signing OF the Gen.
cral Act accomplished with all possible s0lcmnity
and state, AZ the Foreign Office. On Sunday eyen-
ing there was to he gala dinner of eighty GOV.
ers, given by King Leopold himself, 10 which
the whole Of the Ministers, the chief Congo func-
tonaries, the Conference delegates and few other
we-KnOwn pprSOnages were hidden Then, on
Monday, tine formal ceremony of omugatiOn
would bring the demonstration TO an impressive
close. The secretaries were busily occupied all
Friday night in drawing mp the formal copies Of
the General Act on the orthodox gilt-edged paper,
and by Saturday ri noon the much-discussed docu-
ment was ready for signature
The members OF the Congress met, according 10
the programme, M the Foreign Office on Saturday
afternoon There was the great table, with
! gilded chair for each member. There, upon the
table, lay the General Act, eXquisitely engrossed
and blazing with red ribbons with brand-new
crystal inkstand, and brand-ncw quill pen for
each Of the prospective Signcrs. There was Baron
Lambcrmont, chatting nlerry with the members
about the coming banquet. There came, finally, the
last member Of the Congress and Baron Lamberm0nS
moved for the transaction Of tie business or the
(ay. But on the inst;snt up rose Baron Gercke de
IIerwynen the Dutch delegate who had opposed the
Act and had then 50 gracefully withdrawn bis
opposition. He was now nervous breathing hard,
changing color For moment he could not speak.
Then. with Il desperate gulp, he blurted out that
| he could not sign the Act; the Dutch Government
forbade him To do So As he dropped into his
seat after this startling deveancc, the other
members stared at each other in blank dismay.
Then Lord VIVIAN TIE English delegate, arose and
declared that lie could not sign ethar his instruc-
tons being not to Sign unless every one else did.
Again painful silence prevailed; then sudden
buzz Of cyaspcratcd comment. Then some one
made break for the door, and the Others followed
him rs though Beclzebub were after them.
In a moments time thc big table and the gildeh
chairs were unoccuped. and the parchment was
unsigned, and the brond-new pens were SUN
strangers Ia Tie brandnew crystal inksand.
But that was not the worst of it. not by good
deal II WIS now o'clock of saturday, ana
every member Of the Congress had IN his pocket
an Invitation 10 the great dinner OF Silnday. ltt
with the Act yet Unsigned and not likely 10 DO
signed, the dinner would he delnslon ana d
mockerv And the King was stu at Osend
Poor BARON Iamhermont SAYS he accounts II Inc
greatest triumph of his life that he restrained
| himself from committing suclGe on the spot IN
stead Of killing himself, hr teegraphed 70 me
| King and then locked himself and his terrlblo
| secret No where reporters could not find him.
| The dinner was TO he AT hali-Past on sunday.
! Al moon on Sunday the King arrived from Osend.
There was an awful quarter of an hour beiWe'h III
| and the Baron. And then messcn-ers were seht
! 10 the four quarters of tie city to coHnlermand
the invitations and tell the guests that the dinner
vas of Indefinitely. Most of the iusirlons dp,)-
mats were already dressed. and som" Of them ac'n-
ally starting for the dinner when the messengers
| reached them One of them, however. va wlsf9
| than his fellows This was Sit John hlrK, OF
| England lie knew by intuition that there would
| bee no dinner. and so he set out Tor home 10 uli
! Lord Salisbury that at the last moment all the
! Congressional fat was in the fire. and the seven
months If celebration had been wasted.
For day or TWO thereafter the telegraph wires
between Brussels and the Hague were worked
! almost into nervous proSt1tipn, but IN VAN.
| Holland would not consent - sign 10 on Wfun :
| day the General Act was signed by some. but noe
| by all the members Of the Congress. Holland ana
Turkey did not sign. and Lord Vivian. while sign
| ing. repeated his declaration that complete una.
nimi.y would I've essential before the provisions VI
| the Act could he carried into elect
|