government of the Association, if they shall commit any wrong against the person or property of a British subject, shall be arrested and punished by the authorities of the Association according to the laws of the said Free States [under its administration]. Justice shall be equitably and impartially administered on both sides. VIII. A British subject having reason to complain against an inhabitant of the said territories, who is subject to the government of the Association, must proceed to the Consulate and state his grievance. The Consul will inquire into the merits of the case, and do his utmost to arrange it amicably. In like manner, if any such inhabitant of the said territories shall have reason to complain of a British subject, the Consul shall no less listen to his complaint, and endeavour to settle it in a friendly manner. If disputes take place of such a nature that the Consul cannot arrange them amicably, then he shall request the assistance of the authorities of the Association, and they may together examine into the merits of the case and decide it equitably. IX. Should any inhabitant of the said territories, who is subject to the government of the Association, fail to discharge debts incurred to a British subject, or should he fraudulently abscond, the authorities of the Association will do their utmost to bring him to justice, and to enforce recovery of the debts; and should any British subject fraudulently abscond or fail to discharge debts incurred by him to an inhabitant of the said territories who is subject to the government of 'the Association, the British authorities will, in like manner, do their utmost to bring him to justice, and to enforce recovery of the debt. No British Consul nor any authority of the Association is to be held responsible for the payment of any debt contracted either by a British subject, or by any inhabitant of the said territories, who is subject to the government of the Association. Decree of the King of the Belgians, Sovereign of the Independent State of the Congo, 30 July, 1886. I. Le mariage peut être contracté valablement sur le territoire de l'État, s'il a été autorisé au préalable par l'Administrateur Général au Congo. Cette autorisation est donnée par écrit pour chaque cas particulier. II. L'Administrateur Général au Congo prescrit les formalités à suivre pour la célébration du mariage. III. Les obligations qui naissent du mariage, ainsi que les droits et les devoirs respectifs des époux, sont ceux établis par les Articles 203 à 226 inclusivement du Code Civil en vigueur en Belgique. ROYAL NIGER COMPANY (formerly National African Company, Limited). Charter, 10 July, 1886. "To hold and retain the full benefit of the cessions obtained by the Company, from the Kings and Chiefs of the various territories in the basin of the River Niger in Africa.” XVI. In all matters relating to the observance of the last preceding article [conformity to Treaties], or to the exercise within the Company's territories for the time being of any jurisdiction exerciseable by us under the Foreign Jurisdiction Acts, or the said general Act of the 26th of February, 1885 [of the Conference of the great Powers at Berlin, relative to the freedom of trade in the basin of the Congo River and other matters], the Company shall conform to and observe and carry out all such directions as may from time to time be given in that behalf by our Secretaries of State, and the Company shall, at their own expense, appoint all such officers to perform such duties, and provide such Courts and other requisites for the administration of justice as he directs. WEST COAST OF AFRICA. Order in Council, 6 August, 1874. Divers Countries near or adjacent to Her Majesty's Gold Coast Colony. And whereas Her Majesty hath acquired power and jurisdiction within divers countries on the West Coast of Africa near or adjacent to Her Majesty's said Gold Coast Colony, and it is expedient to determine the mode of exercising such power and jurisdiction : The power and jurisdiction is to be exercised by the Legislative Council of the Gold Coast Colony by ordinance, the Governor of the Colony having a negative voice in the passing of the ordinances, and the right to disallow them being reserved to the Queen. Order in Council, 29 December, 1887. Territories adjacent to the Colony of Lagos. In similar terms to the above, the "Colony of Lagos" being substituted for the "Gold Coast Colony." Treaty, 4 July, 1884. With the Kings and Chiefs of New Calabar. * III. It is agreed that full and exclusive jurisdiction, civil and criminal, over British subjects and their property in the territory of New Calabar is reserved to Her Britannic Majesty, to be exercised by such Consular or other officer as Her Majesty shall appoint for that purpose. The same jurisdiction is likewise reserved to Her Majesty in the said territory of New Calabar over foreign subjects enjoying British protection, who shall be deemed to be included in the expression "British subject" throughout this Treaty. IV. All disputes between the Kings and Chiefs of New Calabar, or between them and British or foreign traders, or between the aforesaid Kings and Chiefs and neighbouring tribes, which cannot be settled amicably between the two parties, shall be submitted to the British Consular or other officer appointed by Her Britannic Majesty, to exercise jurisdiction in New Calabar territories for arbitration and decision, or for arrangement. [With the following additions:- To Article IV., The said Kings and Chiefs shall have the right to appeal to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs against the decision of the Consular or other officers. V. The Kings and Chiefs of Old Calabar hereby engage to assist the British Consular or other officers in the execution of such duties as may be assigned to them.] King, Queen, and Chiefs of ATANI (Niger Left Bank, No. 5) ONITSHA ( IDA (Niger Left Bank, No. 1) Kings, Queen, and Chiefs of ASABA (Niger Right Bank, No. 4) King and Chiefs of No. 2) OKO AMACOM ( No. 6) ALENSO (Niger Right Bank, No. 8) King, Queen, and Chiefs of ODEKWÈ (Niger Left Bank, No. 3) King, Queen, and Chiefs of OSIBITI (Niger Left Bank, No. 4) King and Chiefs of Order in Council, see There are also a number of "Preliminary Treaties" with the Kings post, p.221.] and Chiefs of other districts, but which do not contain these articles. EAST AFRICA. Act of Parliament, 36 & 37 Vict, c. 59. Jurisdiction in matters connected with the slave trade conferred on the Vice-Admiralty Court at Aden, and any of Her Majesty's Consuls within the dominions of the Sovereigns of Zanzibar, Muscat and Madagascar, when exercising jurisdiction in pursuance of the respective Orders in Council. ZANZIBAR. The dominions of the Sultan of Zanzibar are placed under the Protectorate of Her Britannic Majesty. The Protectorate comprises the territory recognised as belonging to the Sultan in the articles of agreement between Great Britain and Germany, 29th October, 1886, with the exception of the territory lying to the south of the River Umba, of the Island of Mafia, and of the districts of Brava, Merka, Magadisho, and Warshiekh. (NotificationLondon Gazette, Nov. 4, 1890.) Treaty, 30 April, 1886. V. Subjects of Her Britannic Majesty shall be permitted, throughout the dominions of His Highness the Sultan, to acquire, by gift, purchase, intestate succession, or under will, or in any other legal manner, land, houses, and property of every description, whether movable or immovable; to possess the same, and freely to dispose thereof by sale, barter, donation, will, or otherwise. XVI. Subjects of Her Britannic Majesty shall, as regards their persons and property, enjoy within the dominions of His Highness the Sultan of Zanzibar the rights of exterritoriality. The authorities of His Highness the Sultan have no right to interfere in disputes between subjects of Her Britannic Majesty amongst themselves, or between them and members of other Christian nations. Such questions, whether of a civil or criminal nature, shall be decided by the competent Consular authorities. The trial and also the punishment of all offences and crimes of which British subjects may be accused within the dominions of His Highness the Sultan, also the hearing and settlement of all civil questions, claims, or disputes in which they are the defendants, is expressly reserved to the British Consular authorities and Courts, and removed from the jurisdiction of His Highness the Sultan. Should disputes arise between a subject of His Highness the Sultan or other non-Christian Power not represented by Consuls at Zanzibar, and a subject of Her Britannic Majesty, in which the British subject is |