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conditions of their existence, and to co-operate in the suppression
of slavery, and above all of the slave trade ; they will protect and
encourage, without distinction of nationality or creed, all institutions
and enterprises, religious, scientific, or charitable, established
and organised'for these objects or tending to educate the natives,
and lead them to understand and appreciate the advantages of
civilisation. . .
Christian missionaries, men of science, explorers, and their
escorts and collections, to be equally the object of special protection.
.
Liberty of conscience and religious toleration are expressly
guaranteed to the natives 'a s w e ll, as to the inhabitants and
foreigners. The free and public exercise of every creed, the rig h t
to erect religious buildings and to organise missions belonging to
«very creed, shall be subject to no restriction or impediment w hatsoever.
A r t i c l e Y II.
Postal Arrangements.
The Convention of the Postal Union revised at Paris on the 1st
of June, 1878, shall apply to the said basin of the Congo.
The Powers which there exercise or will exercise rights of
sovereignty or protectorate, undertake, as soon as circumstances
permit, to introduce the necessary measures to give effect to the
above resolution.
A r t i c l e V III.
Bight o f Surveillance conferred on the International Commission fo r the
Navigation o f the Congo.
I n all parts of the te rritory embraced in the present Declaration,
where no Power shall exercise the rights of sovereignty or protectorate
the International Commission for the navigation of the
Cono-o’, constituted in accordance with Article XVII., shall be
entrusted with the surveillance of the application of the principles
declared and established in this Declaration. ■
In all cases of difficulties arising relative to the application of
the principles established by the present Declaration, the Governments
interested shall agree to appeal to the good offices of the
International Commission, leaving to i t the examination of the’facts
which have given rise to, the difficulties.
CHAPTER I I .
DECLARATION CONCERNING THE SLAVE TRADE.
A r t i c l e IX.
In conformity with the principles of the rig h t of nations as
recognised by the signatory Powers, the slave trade being forbidden,
and operations which on land or sea supply slaves for the trade
being equally held to be forbidden, the Powers which exercise or
will exercise rights of sovereignty or influence in the territories
forming the basin of the Congo declare tha t these territories shall
serve neither for the place of sale nor the way of transit for the
traffic in slaves of any race whatsoever. Each of the Powers undertakes
to employ every means th a t it can to put an end to the trade
and to punish those who engage in it.
CHAPTER III.
DECLARATION RELATIVE TO TH E NEUTRALITY OF THE TERRITORIES
COMPRISED . IN THE SAID BASIN OF THE CONGO.
A r t i c l e X .
In order to give a new guarantee of security for commerce and
industry, and to encourage by the maintenance of peace the development
of civilisation in the countries mentioned in Article I.
and placed under the system of free trade, the High Parties signatory
to the present Act, and those who will accept the same, hereby
undertake to respect the neutrality of the territories, or parts of
the territories dependent on the said countries, comprising therein
the territorial waters, for so long as the Powers which exercise, or
will exercise, the rights of sovereignty or protectorate over the
territories, avail themselves of the right to proclaim them neutral
and fulfil the duties th a t neutrality implies.
A r t i c l e XI.
In cases’where a Power exercising rights of sovereignty or protectorate
in th e countries mentioned in Article I. and placed under
the system of free trade shall be involved in war, the High Parties
signatory to the present Act and those who will accept the same
hereby engage to use their good offices so th a t the territories belonging
to th a t Power, and comprised within the said boundaries
where free trade exists, shall, by the mutual consent of that- Power
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