§ MR. R. A. YERBURGH (Chester)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) whether the Anglo-Congolese Agreement of May last was objected to by France on the ground that the Congo Free State being the creation of International Law, and its neutrality being guaranteed by the Great Powers, signatories of the Berlin Act, any alienation, even of a restricted character, of any portion of its territories was invalid without the consent of the said Great Powers; (2) whether the consent of the said Great Powers has been given to the taking over of the Congo Free State by Belgium; (3) whether any agreement by Belgium giving the right of pre-emption over the Congo Territory to any Power is valid without the consent of the said Great Powers; and (4) whether such consent has been given to the agreement just made public between Belgium and France?
§ *SIR E. GREYThe question of the hon. Member raises some, points which may form the subject of discussion between the Powers interested, and it is therefore not possible to give a final answer upon them. I may, however, say that the answers to the second and last paragraphs of the question are, so far as we know, in the negative.