On the following day the debating grew even more bitter
; and some astounding allegations were made. It is the custom, it seems, in the French African Colonies to " concede " vast tracts to private persons, who monopolise the forests and mines, exact rent from the negroes, and generally act as if they were freeholders of the soil. They enjoy, moreover, a right of free imports. A concession of this kind was granted to M. Verdier over the immense extent of six million hectares, say, fourteen million acres, for the paltry sum of £80,000; the result being that private traders, unable to compete, gave up dealing, and both trade and the customs revenue died away. M. Chastelin demanded an inquiry by the Chamber into this transaction, but on the Minister for the Colonies promising to inquire for himself, investigation was refused by 347 to 103 The Chamber, moreover, voted confidence by 322 to 3; but for all that, it was in a sullen and suspicions mood, and refused the credits demanded by the Government. The Times' corre- spondent in Paris says the Chamber wants to suppress private enterprise, but to allow monopolists to acquire whole provinces and import goods duty-free is a new way of en- couraging private enterprise. The truth is, that the French ) Government takes Colonies for the sake of increasing its
patronage, and that the taxpayer of France has in the long- run to pay for the concessionaires' great fortunes.
Previous page
