58 
EUROPE AND AFRICA 
sionnaire company may serve on the Colonial Council or in 
any administrative capacity in the Congo; and a special law 
is to be passed, regulating the granting of all future conces- 
sions for trade or public development. 
For financial and administrative reasons the Belgian 
Government felt it would be unwise to assume the ownership 
and control of the Congo Independent State without the 
possession of the crown domain as well. Early in February, 
1908, M. Schollaert, the Prime Minister, opened negotia- 
tions with King Leopold on this point. The ruler of the 
Congo was willing to turn over the royal lands, but only on 
condition that $30,000,000 were voted by the Belgian Legis- 
lature for the completion of certain public works in Belgium 
and on the Congo, together with annuities for Prince Albert 
and the Princess Clementine. This demand was declared 
inadmissible by the Premier; and he, supported by a united 
cabinet, steadily declined to consider any such enormous 
concession. Ultimately a compromise was effected; and on 
March 5, Leopold deeded to Belgium all of the royal Congo 
possessions and rights, — except two tracts of twenty thou- 
sand hectares in the Mayumbe district, where experiments in 
rubber and cocoa culture were in progress, — together with 
the most of his stock in the various concessionnaire com- 
panies.! For public works and fortifications in Belgium the 
sum of $9,000,000 was to be appropriated, of which no more 
than $6,000,000 was to be spent without the further consent 
of the Chamber. 
As a token of gratitude for his numerous sacrifices and 
generosity, a fund of $10,000,000 was to be paid over in 
fifteen installments to Leopold. It was understood, how- 
ever, that this sum was to be used entirely in carrying out 
certain royal plans relative to the Congo, which included the 
t This gave the Belgian Government control of about one half of the stock 
of the concessionnaire companies.