Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-02
England's Sensational Deal With the
King of Belgium

England's Sensational Deal With the
King of Belgium,
LONDON, June 1st.-Within a few weeks
the announcement will be officially made
of the purchase by the British Government
of the Congo Free State, the area of which
exceeds !, 200, 900 square miles and the pop
ulation 30O00,000. The frequent trips of
King Leopold OF Belgium to London dur
ing the past few weeks, and his numerous
protracted interviews with the Marquis of
Salisbury and Secretary of State for the
Colonies Lord Knutsford, are due to the
impending sale which the Prime Minister
intends to spring upon the country much
IN the same manner as Lord Beaconsfeld
did the purchase of Suez Canal shares.
Salisbury regards the acquisition of the
Congo State, which is the richest district of
the entire African Continent, as a magnif-
cent coup, which will appeal to the patri-
otto feeling of every Englishman, and will
enable him TO dissolve Parliament next
fall and face the general election with every
certainty OF success and the consequent
prolongation of Tory tenure of Office for
another Parliamentary term of seven years.
THE UNITED STATES HEsITANcY.
All the transactions in connection with
the purchase are completed and the official
announcement of the sale is delayed solely
by the hesitation of the United States to
consent TO the repeal of Article ". of the
Berlin Congo treaty of 1884. which stipu-
lates that all merchandise imported into
the fiee State shall remain free from i'm
port or transit dues for twenty years. The
revision OF this clause was first mooted at
the Anti Slavery Congress in session at
Brussels, Leopold basing his demands for
authorization by the signatory powers of
the Berlin treaty to levy custom dues on
all imports into the Free State, on the
ground that the revenues to be derived
therefrom were absolutely necessary for
carrying on the administration of the Gov
eminent.
THE SALE A NECESSITY.
In fact, both he and his representatives
nave given the Powers to understand that
1t will be impossible to carry on the admin
istration and development of the State
without pecuniary relief to be derived from
the imposition of custom dues or imports,
and that means this sale is indispensable
In order TO avoid a deficit in the Congo
budget, although Stanley has given reason
to discredit these statements by expressly
declaring IN two public speeches that the
congo Free State was paying cent for cent
on the money which is invested there, vet
the British Government has lent the full
weight of its official support to Leopold's
demands on the subject of the imposition
OF custom dues.
Although the Government has already
decided TO offer Stanley the Governor Gem
eralship of their new dependency, YET both
the Minister and Leopold are careful to
avoid giving the great explorer any hint of
the negotiations which have been going
on, for Stanley, although a famous ex-
plorer, IS utterly lacking in either tact or
discretion, fact that no one deplores more
deeply than his friend and admirer Leo
pold.
THE CONTRACT PRICE.
Although there is the highest authority
Tor the above statement. it Is impossible to
obtain the exact figures with regard to the
prlce paid Tor the purchase, but il is be-
leved to De between $4,000, 600 and $50.
600 900.
To. Leopold the sale is matter of vital
importance, for he has not only his own
enormous wealth. but it is rumored also
that he has still more considerable for
tune which he holds in trust for his de-
mented sister, ex Empress Carlotta of Mex
leo, invested in the Congo enterprise. For
years past ne has been moving heaven and
earth to obtain the sanction of France and
England to Congo lottery loan, with
view to recouping his loss.
LEoPoLD's DILEMMA.
This is all the more urgent, since the con-
viction IS gaining ground that Carlotta has
recovered her reason, and that she may de-
mand from her brother an accounting of
her fortune. Moreover, as the sovereignty
OF the Congo Free States is vested in Leo
pold individually, Belgium as a State hav-
ing no participation in the responsibility,
he is bound 10 make arrangements for the
continuation of the Congo enterprise after
his death, for he is now al aged man.
Neither his brother, the Count of Flanders,
nor the latter's son. Prince Baldwin, who
is the heir apparent to the throne, has the
slightest taste for the Congo enterprise.
but they have always discountenanced and
deplored Leopold's infatuation in the
matter.