§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the attention of Her Majesty's Government has been directed to the Royal Decree signed by King Leopold, as Sovereign of the Congo Free State, on 29th September, 1891, declaring his intention to preserve for the use of the State the fruits of its domains, notably ivory and rubber; the Royal Decree of 25th July, 1892, declaring that the right of hunting elephants is interdicted throughout the territories of the State, except by special permission; and the Royal Decree of 30th October, 1892, prohibiting all trade with natives in rubber, except by the State, over districts therein specified, and comprising, at least, half of the whole area of the Congo Free State; and whether Her Majesty's Government, as one of the signatories to the Berlin Treaty of 1885, has protested against those Decrees as violations of its first Article, which stipulated that the trade of all nations shall enjoy complete freedom in all the regions forming the basin of the Congo and its outlets?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. GREY,) Northumberland, Ber-1445 wick The attention of Her Majesty's Government has been called to the Decree of October 30th, which carried out the intention stated in the first part of the question. It is doubtful whether, and if so how far, the doctrine of State domains in Africa is inconsistent with the Free Trade established in the Zone by the Berlin Act, and Her Majesty's Government have, therefore, not protested against it. They have, however, made inquiries as to the policy of the Congo State, and it is possible that the Decree will shortly be modified. The Decree of July 25th has not been communicated. If it merely makes regulations against the uncontrolled slaughter of elephants it would not be contrary to the spirit of the Act. It will be obtained and examined.