‘File 5/6 I Brussels Conference and general rules and procedure on slave traffic’ [‎36v] (89/297)

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ARTICLE LXXXVI.
The Signatory Powers, having recog-oized the
duty of protecting- liberated slaves in their respec
tive possessions, undertake to establish, if they
should not already exist in the ports of the zone
determined by Article XXI, and in such parts of
their said possessions as may be places for capture,
passage, and arrival of African slaves, as many
offices and institutions as are deemed sufficient by
them, whose business will specially consist in libe
rating and protecting them in accordance with the
jn-ovisions of the Articles VI, XV11I, Lll, LXIIL
and LXVI.
ARTICLE LXXXVIL
The Liberation Offices or the authorities charged
with this service shall deliver letters of liberation,
and keep a register thereof.
^ ^ I n ca se of the denunciation of an act of Slave
Trade or of illegal detention, or at the instance of
the slaves themselves, the said Offices or authorities
shall exercise all necessary diligence to insure the
f liberation of the slaves and the punishment of the
offenders,
Ihe delivery of letters of liberation should in no
case be delayed if the slave be accused of a crime
or offence against the ordinary law. But after the
dolivery of the said letters an investigation shall
be proceeded with in the form established by the
ordinary procedure.
ARTICLE LXXXVIII.
Ihe Signatory Powers shall favour in their pos
sessions the foundation of establishments of refuge
for women and of education for liberated children.
ARTICLE LXXXIX.
Freed slaves shall always be able to resort to the
Offices to be protected in the enjoyment of their
freedom. \\ hoever shall have used fraudulent or
violent means to deprive a free slave of his letters
of liberation or of his liberty shall be considered as
a slave-dealer.
Chapter VI.—Restrictive Measures concern
ing the Traffic in Spirituous Liquors.
ARTICLE XC.
Justly anxious about the moral and material
consequences which the abuse of spirituous liquors
entails on the native populations, the Signatory
Powers have agreed to apply the provisions of
Articles XCI, XCII, and XCIII, within a zone
extending from the 20th degree north latitude to
the 22nd degree south latitude, and bounded by the
Atlantic Ocean on the west and by the Indian
Ocean on 1he east, with its dependencies, compri
sing the islands adjacent to the mainland, up to
1 0U sea miles from the shore.
ARTICLE XCI.
In the districts of tju^jone where it shall be
ascertained that, either on account of religious
belief or from other motives, the use of distilled
i iquors does not exist or has not been developed, the
owers shall prohibit their importation. The
manufacture of distilled liquors there shall be
equally prohibited.
Each Power shall determine the limits of the
ne of prohibition of alcoholic liquors in its pos
sessions or Protectorates, and shall be bor
notify the limits thereof to the other Powers - Power
the space ot six months. The above prol; Act shall
can only be suspended in the case of limited The Si
tides destined forithe consumption of the non- suc h eoi
population and imported under the reditu, their adh
conditions determined by each Government
If no (
ARTICLE XCII. implies a
i • s ^ on a
Ihe Powers having possessions or exer General
protectorates in the region of the zone whij ^1 1 P
not placed under the action of the prohibitio, the steps
into which alcoholic liquors are at present e States \\
freely imported or pay an import duty of ^ US eful in
15 fr. per hectolitre at 50 degrees Centi; the Gem
undertake to leavy on these alcoholic liquoi Adhes
import duty of 15 fr. per hectolitre to 50 de. It shall 1
Centigrade for three years after the present G« to the G
Act comes into force. At the expiration of and by 1
period the duty may be increased at 25 fr. 4 States
a fresh period of three years. At the end ol
sixth year it shall be submitted to revision, ti
as a basis the average results produced by P
1 ariffs, for the purpose of then fixing, if poj ^ ie
a minimum duty throughout the whole exte cas< ; exc(
the zone where the prohibition referred to in Each
cle XCI is not in force. Governn
The Powers have the right of maintaining
increasing the duties beyond the minimum fi.\ f
the present Article in those regions where depositee
already possess that right. J Belo-iunf
ARTICLE XCIII. As S0C
The distilled liquors manufactured in then,
referred to in Article XCII, and intended fori:
consumption, shall be subject to an excise dul
This excise duty, the collection of whid
Powers undertake to insure as far as possible,!
not be lower than the minimum import duty;
by Article XC1T.
ARTICLE XCIV.
Signatory Powers having in Africa posses
contiguous to the zone specified in Article
undertake to adopt the necessary measures
preventing the introduction of spirituous %
within the territories of the said zone by t!
inland frontiers.
ARTICLE XCV.
The Powers shall communicate to each ot:
through the Office at Brussels, and aceordk
the terms of Chapter V, information relafc
the traffic in alcoholic liquors vPithin their vsf
tive territories.
Chapter VII.— Final Provisions, a [7^=2—
ARTICLE XCVI.
The present General Act repeals all conts
stipulations of Conventions previously coin'*
between the Signatory Powers.
ARTICLE XCVII.
The Signatory Powers, without prejudice t
stipulations contained in Articles XIV,
and XCII, reserve the right of introducing mil
present General Act later on, and by con-
agreement, such modifications or improveme
experience may prove to be useful.
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