§ MR. WEDGWOOD (Newcastle-under-Lyme)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether his-attention has been called to that part of the open letter from the King of the Belgians to the secretaries of the Congo Reform Committee in which he says that no Power has the right of intervention in the Congo Free State, that nothing could justify any intervention, and that his rights in the Congo are personal and indivisible; whether His Majesty's Government are prepared to accept these statements of the case; and, if not, whether they will protest, either alone or in conjunction with the other Powers.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir EDWARD GREY, Northumberland, Berwick)I am not sure what is meant by personal and indivisible rights. We have recognised the independence of the Congo State, and the rights of intervention which we have are those of seeing that treaty obligations are observed. These cannot be affected by subsequent declarations on the part of the Sovereign of the Congo State, and the letter in question cannot alter them.
§ MR. WEDGWOODDo His Majesty's Government intend to tell the King of the Belgians that?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYNo, Sir. I do not see any necessity for making any communication.