No. 9.
Mr. Tree to
Mr. Bayard.
Brussels, December 24, 1885. (Received January 9.)
Sir: I have just heard that an English syndicate, one of the members of which is said to be Henry M. Stanley, the explorer, has to-day entered into an agreement with the Government of the Congo Free State for the construction of a railroad around the Falls of the Congo; that under the terms of this agreement the syndicate or company has a concession of ten thousand acres per mile for each mile of road and one-half of the revenues of the State until such time as the railroad shall pay 6 per cent, on its capital stock; that the capital guaranteed by the syndicate for the purpose of carrying out the enterprise of building the road is one million of pounds sterling.
I have reason to believe that the information is reliable.
Stanley has been here for several days, and I learn left for England to-day.
I have also heard some hints about a commercial company, of which the parties concerned in this railroad enterprise are the promoters and apparently in connection with the railroad, which is to have a capital of three millions of pounds sterling, including the million required for the construction of the railroad. But the information I have learned on this point is so indefinite that until I hear something more about it I will content myself with simply mentioning the matter.
I have, &c.,