ANTI-SLAVERY CONFERENCE. 



15 



resentatives of the United States, suggested the 

 exclusion of spirits unfit for use by condemning 

 and confiscating those that are found imperfectly 

 rectified or adulterated. 



Baron Lambermont offered a proposition to 

 enable the Free State of the Congo to levy duties 

 on imports not to exceed 10 per cent, ad valorem. 

 The representatives of the Congo State pointed 

 to the development of trade and civilizing activ- 

 ities in the Congo region, surpassing the expec- 

 tations of the framers of the general act of 1885, 

 and urged the necessity of a larger revenue to 

 enable their Government to protect that trad 3 

 and to carry out the duties imposed on it by the 

 treaty under consideration. Mr. Terrell, repre- 

 senting the United States, questioned the com- 

 petence of the conference to revise the general 

 act of the former African Conference, and the 

 Government of the Netherlands, encouraged by 

 this unexpected support, stubbornly adhered to 

 the stand it had taken, refusing to give its sanc- 

 tion to either a duty on liquor or a general tariff in 

 the conventional basin of the Congo. Turkey and 

 Persia reserved their rights of sovereignty over 

 the ports where it was proposed to watch against 

 the landing of slaves, while accepting the duty 

 of co-operating in the suppression of the African 

 slave trade without disturbance of the existing 

 status of domestic slaves. Caratheodori Effendi 

 did not sign the general act, as his Government, 

 with its habitual slowness, wanted more time to 

 examine its provisions. Turkey and Holland 

 were given six months to sign. The plenipoten- 

 tiaries of all other powers put their names to the 

 general act on July 2. On July 18 it was signed 

 by the Turkish minister at Brussels. 



The first chapter, dealing with the suppres- 

 sion of the slave trade by land, declares the most 

 effective means to be the organization of civil 

 administration, justice, and religion ; the intro- 

 duction of roads, railroads, and steamboats ; the 

 establishment of military posts and scouting ex- 

 peditions ; and the restriction of the importation 

 of improved firearms. The powers exercising a 

 sovereignty or protectorate in Africa engage to 

 make laws punishing as felonies slave hunting, 

 mutilation of male infants, transportation of 

 slaves, and mercantile dealings in them, and to 

 extradite persons charged with any of these of- 

 fenses. A fugitive slave shall receive asylum in 

 the camps and stations or on board the cruisers 

 of any of the signatory powers, but private sta- 

 tions or boats without the authorization of the 

 state are not permitted to extend the right of 

 asylum. Slaves liberated on the stopping of a 

 caravan must be sent to their homes, if possible. 

 The prohibition of the importation of firearms is 

 laid down as a principle, with exceptions for the 

 case in which the sovereign or protecting power 

 thinks it desirable to permit, it on its territory. 

 In this case the arms are to be deposited in a 

 public warehouse, and can only be withdrawn by 

 permission of the authorities, though flint-locks 

 .and common powder may be stored in private 

 warehouses. No arms must be sold in districts 

 infected with the slave trade, and no'breech-load- 

 ers, repeating rifles, or cartridges can be taken 

 out of bond except by persons having a license 

 to bear arms. The zone to which the regula- 

 tions relating to firearms apply extends from 

 20 of north latitude to 22 of south latitude and 



from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, including 

 islands within one hundred marine miles of the 

 shores. A power occupying a coast district giv- 

 ing the only access to trie inland territory of an- 

 other power can not forbid the transit of muni- 

 tions destined and declared to be for the use of 

 the public authorities, except provisionally in 

 the case of disturbances. 



The second chapter deals with the caravan 

 routes and binds the powers having possessions 

 in Africa to establish posts for intercepting con- 

 voys and to examine caravans at their places of 

 destination. Any person previously condemned 

 for taking part in the slave trade will not be 

 permitted to engage in a commercial expedition 



without giving security. 

 The third cha 



apter contains the provisions for 

 the suppression of the slave trade by sea. The 

 maritime zone is bounded by the coasts of the 

 Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf 

 from Quilimane to Beloochistan, by a line ex- 

 tending obliquely to Cape Ambre, then by a line 

 passing round the island of Madagascar and west- 

 ward along the 2Gth parallel of south latitude, 

 till it meets the meridian of Cape Tangalane, 

 and then by that meridian running northward 

 to Quilimane. The limitation of the right of 

 search to vessels under 500 tons shall be revised 

 if larger vessels engage in the slave trade. An 

 international office for the exchange of informa- 

 tion regarding the slave trade and persons en- 

 gaged in it will be established at Zanzibar. 



The fourth chapter relates to countries of des- 

 tination. The contracting powers having posses- 

 sions in or out of Africa in which the institution of 

 domestic slavery is recognized bind themselves 

 to prohibit the 'importation, transit, and exit of 

 African slaves and all trade in them, and to ex- 

 ercise stringent supervision at all points of entry 

 and exit. Fugitive slaves entering their domin- 

 ions shall be free. Penal laws will be enacted 

 against importers and traders in African slaves 

 and perpetrators of mutilations. The Sultan of 

 Turkey promises to watch the western shores of 

 Arabia ; the Shah of Persia engages to exercise 

 a close supervision in the Persian Gulf and the 

 Gulf of Oman and the inland routes ; and the 

 Sultan of Zanzibar binds himself to assist in re- 

 pressing slave-trade offenses and to establish a 

 liberation bureau. The next chapter contains 

 provisions relating to the International Maritime 

 Bureau at Zanzibar, the exchange of documents 

 and data between governments, and the protec- 

 tion of liberated slaves. 



The powers possessing territories in the zone 

 between 20 of north latitude and 22 of south 

 latitude agree to prohibit the importation or 

 manufacture of distilled liquors in .districts 

 where, on account of religious belief or for other 

 reasons, their use has not been introduced, and 

 in other districts where they are freely admitted 

 or are subjected to a duty of less than 15 francs 

 per hectolitre they engage to levy a duty of that 

 amount for three years. The duty may be in- 

 creased to 25 francs for a fresh period of three 

 years, and at the end of that time the powers 

 have a right to maintain higher duties where 

 they have them already and to increase them. 

 At the end of six years the article shall be sub- 

 jected to revision for the purpose of fixing a 

 minimum duty throughout the whole extent of 



