▁African ▁slave ▁trade , ▁which ▁sat ▁at ▁Br uss els ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁and ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁General ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 ▁July ▁ 1 8 9 0 . ▁In ▁recognition ▁of ▁his ▁services ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁made ▁a ▁companion ▁of ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Bath ▁( CB ). ▁Later ▁in ▁that ▁year ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁deleg ates ▁at ▁the ▁conference ▁held ▁by ▁represent atives ▁of ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁Germany , ▁and ▁Italy ▁to ▁discuss ▁and ▁fix ▁the ▁duties ▁to ▁be ▁im posed ▁on ▁imports ▁in ▁the ▁conventional ▁bas in ▁of ▁the ▁Congo , ▁and ▁he ▁signed ▁the ▁agreement ▁which ▁was ▁arrived ▁at ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 9 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁be ▁secretary ▁of ▁emb ass y ▁at ▁Madrid , ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁Berlin ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁and ▁to ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁receiving ▁at ▁the ▁latter ▁post ▁the ▁tit ular ▁rank ▁of ▁minister ▁pl en ip ot enti ary . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁he ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁discuss ▁with ▁French ▁commission ers ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁cool ie ▁em igration ▁from ▁British ▁India ▁to ▁Ré union , ▁and ▁in ▁that ▁and ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Ang lo - F rench ▁commission ▁for ▁the ▁del im itation ▁of ▁the ▁poss essions ▁and ▁spher es ▁of ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁countries