[Inclosure in No. 88.—Official Bulletin of
the Independent State of the Congo.—Second year.—No.
3.—Extracts.—Translation.]
The Sovereign King received, in reply to the notification of his
accession as Sovereign of the Independent State of the Congo,
letters—
On the 3d of March, 1886, from His Excellency the President of the
Republic of Guatemala;
On the 13th of March, 1886, from His Excellency the President of the
Republic of Paraguay;
On the 18th of March, 1886, from His Excellency the President of the
Republic of Costa Rica;
On the 23d of March, 1886, from His Excellency the President of the Free
State of Orange;
On the 2d of April, 1886, from the His Excellency President of the
Oriental Republic of Uruguay;
On the 8th of April, 1886, from His Majesty the Emperor of Persia;
On the 12th of April, 1886, from His Excellency the President of the
Republic of Ecuador;
On the 15th of April, 1886, from His Majesty the King of Hawaii.
By a royal decree of the 28th of March, 1886, the Administrator-General
of the Congo was empowered to issue decrees having the force of laws. At
the end of six months these decrees are to lose their power, unless
approved by the Sovereign.
By a decree of the Administrator-General of the Congo, dated April 1,
1886, the jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance of the Lower Congo
was defined as comprising the territory lying north of the Congo River,
between the Atlantic Ocean, the frontiers of the Portuguese and French
possessions, and the meridian passing through the point of junction of
the River Lulua; and, south of the river, the territory lying between
the river of the Mpozo and the meridian passing through the mouth of the
river Wango-Wango.
By a royal decree of the 23d of April, 1886, the seat of the Court of
First Instance of the Lower Congo was fixed at Banana.
[Second year.—No. 4.]
Department of Finance.—Provisions
Concerning Real Property.
Leopold II, King of the Belgians, Sovereign of the
Independent State of the Congo.
To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting:
Referring to our decree of August 22, 1885, by which foreigners, who had
rights to be established to lands lying within the Independent State of
the Congo, were invited to present, before April 1, 1886, petitions for
registration with the view of causing the recognition and attestation of
these rights by the State;
Whereas our Administrator-General of the Congo has the necessary powers
to extend, in case of necessity, the term fixed in our decree above
mentioned; but whereas the slow presentation of petitions for
registration will have the effect of causing increased expenses to the
State; and whereas, moreover, it is the interest of all that the real
property of foreigners should be officially verified and settled within
the shortest period possible;
On the proposal of our Council of Administrators-General,
We have decreed, and do hereby decree:
Article 1.
The fee for registration, fixed by Article 8 of our decree of August 22,
1885, may be increased by ordinance of our Administrator-General for
lands whose registration has not yet been requested.
[Page 32]
Article 2.
Our said Administrator-General is likewise empowered to establish, by
ordinance, an extreme term beyond which no petition for registration for
the lands had in view by our decree of August 22, 1885, shall be
received.
If, after the expiration of this term, foreigners should attempt to
establish, to lands not declared for registration, rights anterior to
the publication of our decree above mentioned, these rights shall not be
recognized by the State, unless the interested parties shall prove to
the satisfaction of our Administrator-General of the Congo that they
were in a situation in which it was impossible for them to present their
petitions in proper time.
Article 3.
The Administrator-General of the Department of Finance is charged with
the execution of the present decree.
Given at Brussels,
April 24,
1886.
LEOPOLD.
By the Sovereign King:
The Administrator-General of the Department of Finance,