Abstract
The Congo Independent State was constituted and defined by the General Act of the International Conference, signed at Berlin February 26, 1885, by which it was declared neutral and free to the trade of all nations, in conjunction with the rest of the basin of the River Congo. The Powers reserved to themselves, until the end of a period of twenty years, the right of deciding if freedom of entry shall be maintained or not. But an International Conference, which met at Brussels in 1890, authorised the Government of the Independent State to levy certain duties on imports. The Congo Independent State was placed under the sovereignty of the King of the Belgians individually; but by will dated August 2, 1889, the King bequeathed to Belgium all his sovereign rights in the State. On July 31, 1890, the territories of the State were declared inalienable, and a Convention of July 3, 1890, between Belgium and the Independent State, reserved to the former the right of annexing the latter after a period of ten years.
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Books of Reference concerning the Congo State
1. Official
Bulletin officiel de l’Etat Indépendant tin Congo.
Convention between Her Majesty and the King of the Belgians in the name of the International Association of the Congo. London, 1885.
Correspondence with Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Berlin respecting West African Conference. London, 1885.
Protocols and General Act of the West African Conference. London., 1885.
2. Unofficial
Alexis (M.G.), Le Congo Beige. Brussels, 1888.
Bentley (Rev. W. H.), Life on the Congo. London, 1887.
Bula N’Zau.— Travel and Adventures in the Congo Free State. 8. London, 1894.
Burdo (A.), Les Beiges dans l’Afrique centralc. 6 vols. 4. Brussels. 1891.
Goquilhat (C.), Sur le Haut-Congo. Paris, 1888.
Dupont (E.), Le Congo. Brussels, 1889.
Jeannent Quatre années au Congo. Brussels, 1883.
Keltie (J. Scott), The Partition of Africa. 2nd Edition. London, 1895.
Le Mouvement Geographique. Brussels, 1893.
Pech uel-Loesehe (Dr.), Kongoland. Jena, 1887.
Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society, 1885–92.
Beclus (E.), Nouvelle géographic universelle. Vol. XIII. Paris, 1888.
Stanley (H. M.), The Congo and the Founding of its Free State. 2 vols. London, 1885
Startles (H. M.), Through the Dark Continent. 2 vols. London, 1878.
Thys (Capt.), Au Congo et au Kassasi. Brussels, 1888.
Van Moesel, Etude sur la législature de l’Etat Indépendant du Congo.
Ward (H.), Five Years with the Congo Cannibals. London, 1890.
Wauters (A. J.), Le Congo. Brussels, 1885.
White (A. Silva), The Development of Africa. London, 1890.
Wissmann (H.), Im Innern Afrihas. Berlin, 1888.
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© 1896 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Keltie, J.S. (1896). Congo Independent State. In: Keltie, J.S. (eds) The Statesman’s Year-Book. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230253254_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230253254_14
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