205 FREE STATE His Majesty’s privy purse, and for some time after the recognition the bonds in his possession, and in 1901 there only remained an of the Free State this system was continued. Mr Demetrius indebtedness of 422,200 francs in respect of this issue. In 1888 Boulger states that, in the first ten years of his work on the and 1889 bearer bonds to the amount of 70 million francs were Congo, King Leopold spent £1,200,000 from his private fortune. issued out of an authorized issue of 150 million francs. These The first five years of the existence of the new State were greatly bonds are redeemable in 99 years by annual drawings, and are hampered by the provision of the Berlin Act prohibiting the entitled to an addition of 5 per cent, per annum when drawn. imposition of any duties on goods imported into the Congo The Redemption Fund is administered by a Committee representregion, but at the Brussels Conference, in the summer of 1890, a ing the bondholders. The Belgian Government in 1890 advanced declaration was signed by the Powers signatory to the Berlin Act the 25 million francs already referred to, without interest, as well authorizing the imposition of import duties not exceeding 10 per as two further sums of 5,287,415 francs and-1,517,000 francs, the cent, ad valorem, except in the case of spirits, which were to be former to enable the State to repay a loan and so prevent the subject to a higher duty. By agreement with France and forfeiture of an immense territory which had been pledged as Portugal, a common tariff was adopted by these Powers and the security to an Antwerp banker, and the latter to balance the 1895 Congo Free State. In the same year the Belgian Government Budget. In October 1896 a small loan of 1,500,000 francs was agreed to advance 25 millions of francs without interest, raised at 4 per cent., and in June 1898 a further sum of 12,500,000 5 millions to be paid at once and the balance in annual francs was raised at the same rate of interest. The Central payments of 2 millions spread over ten years. At the end of Administration has experienced considerable difficulty in adjustthat period Belgium acquired the option of taking over the Free ing the State’s revenue and expenditure, and, apart from State as a Belgian colony. At the same time the King undertook other considerations, it is extremely probable that the into make an annual contribution of a million francs out of his privy creasing difficulty of providing funds will oblige the Belgian purse to the revenue of the State. In addition to the 2 Government to assume direct responsibility for the Congo million francs per annum received from Belgium, the 1 million territories. Defence.—The Administration was at first compelled to recruit francs from the King, and the proceeds of the Customs, the State derives a small portion of its revenues from direct taxation of the soldiers among races outside the State territories, but in 1886 European population, but it is mainly dependent on the profits a small beginning was made in recruiting among the local tribes. derived from the State domains. The Free State is in fact The greater part of the army consisted in 1901 of locally-raised a great commercial undertaking as well as a governing body. It levies, recruited partly by voluntary enlistment and partly by has established plantations in various parts of the State domains, the enforced enlistment of a certain number of men in each or Crown lands, but these are mainly in the experimental stage, district, who are selected by the Commissary in conjunction with and the bulk of the revenue from the State domains is derived the local chiefs. In 1899 the effective force was fixed at 11,850 from the collection of caoutchouc, or rubber, from the forest, and men, divided into 23 companies, and commanded by 200 European the trade in ivory. In 1886 the total revenue of the State only commissioned officers and 241 sergeants. The term of service for amounted to 74,261 francs. The following table shows the volunteers does not exceed seven years, Avhile the militiamen raised revenue and expenditure as set forth in the Budgets in 1891, the by enforced enlistment serve for five years on active service, and for first year in which complete figures are available, and at intervals two years in the reserve. The men are armed with the Albani, the officers with the Mauser rifle. There are seven camps of instrucsince that year tion, and the artillery includes Krupps, Maxims, and Nordenfeldts. A fort has been erected at Chinkakassa near Boma, commanding Expenditure. Revenue. the river below the Falls, and there is another fort at Kinshassa on Stanley Pool to protect Leopoldville and the railway terminus. The Governor-General is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces Francs. .Francs of the State, and the Commissaries are in command of the military 4,554,931 4,554,931 1891 forces in their districts. In the 1891 Budget the expenditure on 7,370,939 6,004,764 1895 the army was given at 2,271,628 francs; in 1896 it had risen to 17,251,975 14,765,050 1898 4,820,793 francs; in 1898, to 6,870,631 francs; and in 1900, to 19.966.500 19,672,965 1899 7,803,408 francs. 27,731,254 26.256.500 1900 Land and Production.—On the 1st of July 1885 it was decreed that “unoccupied lands are considered as belonging to the State.” are three forms of ownership recognized in the The Budget for 1900 estimated the revenue and expenditure as There Free State—(1) the right of the natives to land in Resources. follows :— their actual occupation; (2) private ownership by Europeans of land which they have acquired, and of which they are the Expenditure. registered owners ; and (3) State ownership of all the land not included in either of the two former categories. The system of land registration adopted was based on the Torrens system, and Francs. Francs. offers great facilities for easy transfer. There is a separate Advance by Belgium 2,000,000 Central Office . 110,360 department for the management of the Domain or Crown lands. 1,000,000 Dept, of Interior 11,050,013 Grant by King Plots for factories and blocks of agricultural land are sold at ,, Finance 15,423,681 Customs. 4,680,000 certain fixed rates, but the main contribution to the State 3,800,000 Transport, &c. revenue from the Domain lands is obtained, as has been seen, Affairs State Domain, &c, 11,200,000 from the collection of rubber and ivory. In 1891 and 1892 the 2,950,000 and 158,000 Portfolio State endeavoured to obtain a monopoly of the rubber trade, and 626,500 Justice Lei Various . circulars were issued to the Commissaries in certain districts 989,200 Contingencies instructing them that not only was the collection of rubber by the natives to be regulated, but that in future the natives were to be compelled to sell their rubber to the State. Vigorous protests by 27,731,254 26,256,500 the private trading companies were made against this attempted violation of the freedom of trade secured by the Berlin Act, and eventually the circulars were withdrawn and an arrangement The following table shows the rapid advance made in the made by which certain areas were reserved to the State and revenue derived from the State domains :— certain areas to private traders; while the question of the regime to be established in the basins of the Lualaba, the Upper Lomami, and in Urua and Katanga was reserved until From State Domains. Year. such time as these districts were more effectually brought under control. Minerals.—Comparatively little is known of the mineral wealth Francs. 74,261 1886 of the country. Iron is widely distributed, and worked in a 1,319,145 1891 primitive fashion. It has been found in the Manyanga country, 5,887,404 1896 the Manyema country, on the Upper Congo, in the Urua country, 11,200,000 1900 in the basins of the Kasai and the Lualaba, and in Katanga. Immense ironstone hills, estimated to contain millions of tons of ironstone of superior quality, have been reported in the southIn July 1887 bonds bearing interest at 2J per cent, were issued eastern region. The wealth of Katanga in copper has been to the amount of 11,087,000 francs to represent sums advanced to described by several travellers, and the expedition sent out in the old Committee and Association, the advantage of which was 1891 reported that the richest deposits are to be found in the taken over by the Free State. The bulk of these bonds were southern districts on the bank of the Lufira river. Copper is also issued to King Leopold, but in January 1895 His Majesty cancelled reported in other districts, such as Mpala and Ulvira on Lake CONGO
