NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ON Thursday evening the Belgian Chamber, rather sooner than was expected, took the critical step of voting the Treaty of Annexation whereby the Congo Free State becomes a Belgian colony. The Colonial Law, which provides for the administration of the new colony, was also passed. Before the votes were taken M. Destree, as the Times correspondent tells us, delivered an impassioned speech on behalf of the Socialists, appealing to the future to show that their opposition has been justified. The numbers were : for the "Additional Act " of the Treaty, which suppresses the Crown Domain, 83 to 55, and nine abstentions ; for the Treaty itself, 83 to 54, and nine abstentions ; for the Colonial Law, 90 to 48, and seven abstentions. The result was received with prolonged clapping by the Right and shrill whistles by the Opposi- tion. The final voting, as the Times correspondent points out, found the Government united. The Senate is ex- pected to begin its debate at once, and is likely to vote the Treaty by a larger majority than the Chamber. We need hardly say that Belgium as a Colonial Power enters upon a new and deeply important period of her history. From what we have read of the Colonial Law we fear that it by no means contains the provisions we ourselves regard as necessary for the complete economic reversal of the conditions of the Congo natives. But we are far from concluding that the matter is hopeless ; Sir Edward Grey is still negotiating with Belgium to secure the full observance of the Berlin Act, and we have much faith in his skill and humanity.
