No. 19.
Mr. Tree to Mr. Bayard.

No. 88.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have to-day transmitted to you, under separate cover, as printed matter, two copies each of numbers 3 and 4 (1886) of the “Bulletin Offciel de l’État Indépendent [Page 31] du Congo.” They contain a number of decrees and ordinances with reference to the Government of the State, the most important of which seems to be the decree found in No. 3, at page 46 et seq., concerning the extradition of criminals.

I have, &c.,

LAMBERT TREE.
[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.


LEOPOLD.

By the Sovereign King:

The Administrator-General of the Department of Finance,

HUB. VAN NEUSS.