Mr. Tree to Mr. Bayard.
Brussels, October 20, 1885. (Received November 4.)
Sir: Referring to your instruction No. 5, bearing date September 11, 1885, I have the honor to state that yesterday I addressed a note to Mr. Edmond van Eetveldt, requesting him to indicate a time when I might call upon him to deliver the two sealed letters from you addressed to him, and also informing him that at the same time I should have the honor of handing him a copy of the autographic sealed letter from the President of the United States to His Majesty Leopold, Sovereign of the Independent State of the Congo, with a view of arranging the channels through which I could cause the original letter of the President to reach His Majesty’s hands.
I received a reply from Mr. van Eetvelde the same evening, informing me that he would be very much pleased to see me this afternoon. I accordingly [Page 63] called upon him to-day at the hour indicated and delivered your two sealed letters and also the copy of the President’s letter, requesting him to advise me how I should cause the original to be conveyed to His Majesty’s hands. He promised to take the orders of the King and advise me at an early date.
The conversation which ensued was almost entirely with reference to the character of the country of the Congo and its productions. He, Mr. van Eetvelde, mentioned that his Government had completed arrangements for a postal service there; that the men, wagons, and machinery necessary for such service had already been shipped, and that it would be in operation by the 1st of January.
He also said that a scheme for a judicial system for the country was nearly perfected, which embraced a penal code and the establishment of courts at Banana and Vivi; that this judicial system would probably be complete within three weeks; that a department of the interior was being organized, and that the Government hoped before long to show some results.
In the mean time he expressed the hope that the Government of the United States would be indulgent (I use his words) to the new Government, which had many difficulties to contend with in its efforts to plant civilization in that quarter of the globe. All of the conversation was of this general character.
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I have, &c.,