Banque Coloniale de Belgique S.A.
Constitution
This company of the Hallet Group was incorporated on April 27, 1899 with a capital of six million francs represented by 60,000 shares with a capital of 100 francs and 90,000 dividend shares wdvwithout designation of nominal value; 60,000 dividend shares were allocated as special benefits to subscribers who divided them among themselves; the remaining 30,000 were allocated to Mr. Adrien Hallet and Mr. Oscar Pineur as remuneration for their studies and work.
The 60,000 shares of 100 francs each with a 10% discount were subscribed for by:
MESSRS. Adrien Hallet, 2.650 ; Oscar Pineur, 2.120 ; Emile Hallet, 600 ; Ernest Gilain, 100 ;Elie Hanoteau, 200 ; Armand de Fonvent, 50 ; Paul Raeymaeckers, 50 ; Henri Hallet, 500 ; Jean Mottin, 500 ; Paul Donceel, 500 ; Emile Douxchamps, 2.000 ; Armand Jamar, 100 ; Jules de Foestraets, 100 ; Julien Warnant, 100 ; Oscar Orban, 100 ; Ernest Felsenhart, 500 ; Félix Englebert, 200 ; Léon Acarain, 300 ; Arthur Morren et Cie, 5.000 ; Adhémar Loicq, 1.245 ; Emile Brabant, 20 ; Gustave Loicq, 100 ; Sylvain Gakkez, 50 ; Ernest Brunard, 60 ; Henri Wers, 250 ; Alfred Lambeau, 150 ; Mme Marie Vojave, veuve de Mr François Belle, 55 ; Eugène Le Docte, 1.100 ; Joseph Dewit, 250 ; Eugène Dalmont, 350 ; Georges Le Docte, 100 ; Léon Detry, 200 ; Mme Amélie Gomand, veuve de Mr Adolphe Tircher, 200 ; Arthur Etienne, 100 ; Charles Loozen, 50 ; Emile Richard, 400 ; Joseph Cézar, 50 ; Léon Cézar, 50 ; Paul Stevenaert, 50 ; Abel Raymaekers, 50 ; Eugène Everaerts, 100 ; Oscar Ricaille, 150 ; Maurice Le Docte, 50 ; Eugène Ressort,100 ; Gustave Martin, 200 ; Auguste Hermans-de Favereau, 1.500 ; le baron Adrien de Heusch de la Zangrye, 500 ; Mme Aline de Favereau, épouse de Mr Auguste Hermans, 500 ; Edouard Beauthier, 1.170 ; Charles Dechamps, 50 ; Emile Henricot, 100 ; Firmin Jacqmot, 50 ; Eugene Pettens, 100 ; le comte Jean du Monceau de Bergendael, 100 ; Georges de Leemans,75 ; Jules Pinchart, 50 ; Prosper Vandendries, 600 ; Elie Servais,100 ; Ernest Martin, 100 ; Henri Mercier, 25 ; Louis Lamberts, 50 ; Arthur Libert, 200 ; Henri Lengelé, 105 ; Lucien Michotte, 60 ; Lucien Lacourt, 20 ; Jules Herman, 30 ; Joseph Vallon, 100 ; Louis Stroobants 30 ; Jules Cloquet, 25 ; Felix Courtois, 50 ; Alfred De Corte, 10 ; Georges Dubois, 100 ; Timothée-François Bette, 100 ; Horace Dupire, 2.500 ; Joseph Dewinter, 300 ; La firme Stallaerts et Loewenstein, 250 ; Edmond Bricoult, 250 ; Oscar Drianné, 100 ; Isidore Streyckmans, 120 ; Jules Moyaux, 100 ; Paul Knops 300 ; Aime Meuzin fils, 100 ; Emile Petit, 100 ; Achille Urbain, 100 ; Jean Nicaise, 30 ; Georges Devaux, 500 ; Auguste Hutt, 250 ; Leon Vankeerberghe, 250 ; Barthelemy Spreutels, 1.250 ; Edouard Moselli, 350 ; Maurice Rosart, 350 ; Eugene Neels, 250 ; Georges Vandervinnen, 50 ; Auguste Vanden Eynde, 350 ; Jules Richard, 100 ; Jules Gausset, 100 ; Lucien Stouffs, 500 ; Gustave Dewit, 250 ; Auguste Talon, 100 ; Gustave D'Aoust, 100 ; Polydore Richard, 100 ; Jean-Baptiste Joppart, 100 ; Alphonse Pierson, 100 ; Charles Vandrlse, 100 ; Antoine Beaufaux, 100 ; Arthur Daras, 250 ; Henri Brigode, 250 ; Leopold Mélis ; 100 ; Constantin Houba, 200 ; Eugene Goffart, 100 ; M. Gustave Le Marinel, 200 ; Mme Celine Le Hardy de Beaulieu veuve de Fréderic Collon, 250 ; Lambert Smets, 50 ; Louis Fortamps, 50 ; Georges Fortamps, 50 ; Louis Cotton,100 ; Mme Catherine Dewit, veuve de M. Jean-Baptiste Dewit, 100 ; Emile Le Hardy de Beaulieu, 200 ; Alexis Houbotte, 100 ; Camille Ectors for him and for a group, 760 ; le baron Paul de Garcia de la Vega, 100 ; Paul Van Elder, 100 ; Bernard Ward, 200 ; Henry Hellemans, 80 ; Henry De Lannoy, 100 ; Oscar Pollet for him and for a group, 2.200 ; Léon Meerens, 30 ; Henri Aerts, 20 ; Oscar De Bauw, 50 ; Georges De Rongé, 10 ; Emile Polack, 10 ; Georges Delesalle, 40 ; Alphonse Van Gèle, 110 ; Alphonse Jacques,300 ; Arthur Pétillon,270 ; Jean' Roest, 100 ; Jacques Cordemans, 20 ; Jules Magnay, 100 ; Eugene Denis-Vanden Bogaerde, 30 ; Victor Crooy, 1.000 ; Louis Van Hoorde, 220 ; Louis Chaltin, 50 ; Julien Chaltin, 20 ; Adhémar Daenen, 30 ; Franz Dereine, 50 ; Louis Gillis, 200 ; Paul Osterrieth, 250 ; Louis Van Engelen,100 ; Joseph Ciselet, 650 ; Georges Kryn, 250 ; Armand Lonhienne, 500 ; Albert Waeher, 50 ; Leon Ciselet, 100 ; Louis Volkaerts, 100 ; Jean-Hubert Bolsée ; 100 ; Arthur Devillé, 50 ; Stéphan Ciselet, 100 ; Paul Rochet, 150 ; Herman Ciselet, 500 ; Georges Tonnelier, 250 ; Valère Hoyois, 500 ; Florimond Ardache, 200 ; Ghislain Dochen, 500 ; Louis Lambert, 250 ; Camille de Hérissen, 130 ; Achille Weber, 250 ; Charles Winckelmans, 100 ; Henri De Lattre-Godin, 500 ; Edouard Hinck-Fauconnier, 150 ; Gerard Maquet, 80 ; Jules Zone, 80 ; Paul Hammelrath, 100 ; Ferdinand Michel, 80 ; Alfred Piérart, 500 ; Diomède Vanderhaegen, 250 ; Marcel Hubar, 100 ; Henri Ceulemans, 150 ; Edouard De Rudder, 80 ; Achille De Lattre, 100 ; François Sackes, 100 ; Gustave Dreyepondt, 100 ; Edouard Delalieux, 100 ; Henri Robbe, 40 ; Louis Coetermans,100 ; Jean Brughmans, 100 ; Fritz Felder-Delloy, 300 ; Guillaume Arthur, 20 ; Charles Leys, 50 ; Armand Deblom 40 ; Jules De Coux,100 ; La firme B. Ghilain et Franz Peeters, 200 ; Georges Vansteensel,100 ; Prosper Van Geert,500 ; Charles Van Geert,500 ; Guillaume Stielen, 50 ; Achille Gilain, 80 ; Jean-François de Raeve, 20 ; Henri-Joseph Wilmart, 20 ; Georges Naveau, 150 ; Arthur Goossens, 100 ; Prosper Callebaut, 150 ; John Claes, 200 ; Désiré Verspreuwen, 70 ; Alfred Deleu, 150 ; Victor Vanden Vin, 100 ; Jules Van Hulst, 50 ; Ernest Rosa, 50 ; Louis Rosa, 100 ; Leon Hallet, 100 ; le chevalier Guillaume-Charles de Creft, 20 ; Albert Rolin, 150 ; le lieutenant général Michel Fisch, 100 ; Nestor Denlen, 50 ; le commandant Louis Ghislain, 240 ; Auguste Haubotte, 100 ; Raoul de Pret Roose de Calesbergh, 100 ; Louis de Ridder, 100 ; Joseph Van Aerschot, 120 ; Paul Hennekinne, 30 ; Joseph Famerie, 250 ; Florimond Durieu, 50 ; Edgard Girondal, 1.000 ; Henri Berghs, 250 ; Fernand Demeuse, 750 ; Victorien Lacourt, 850 ; Ernest Naveau, 100.
Object
The main objective is the study and development of commercial and industrial enterprises both in Belgium and abroad, particularly in the colonies of all countries.
To take an interest in such enterprises or in companies set up to operate them either by seeking such enterprises or concessions of any kind, whether mining, agricultural, forestry, transport or other, or by operating them directly, or by participating in the foundation of special companies intended to implement them, by way of contribution, transfer, subscription of shares or bonds or any other financial intervention process, or by setting up such special companies itself.
To take charge of the financial services of the companies it sponsored and even of all others; it could make any purchase and sale of shares and bonds and other listed or unlisted securities, issue or participate in any issue of government, corporate or other securities.
To be able, in a word, to carry out all operations, whatever their nature and character, which could have a direct or indirect effect of facilitating the development of its object.
To carry out these operations, either on its own behalf and in its own name, or in the name of third parties or on behalf of or in participation with third parties. It could merge with other companies (12-(17/05/1899)-2400).
First Board of Directors
The first board of directors was set at eight:
Messrs. Louis Lambert, Arthur Morren, Oscar Pineur, Adrien Hallet, Camille Ectors, Joseph Ciselet, Eugène Van den Eynde, A. Hermans de Favereau.
Event(s), change(s) and transformation(s) in capital, dividend(s), quotation
In 1901, the Bank's main holdings were in Charbonnage Gossoudarieff (nearly 3 million francs) and in the Dutch Forges and Steelworks in Terneuzen (450,000 francs). Its colonial holdings included shares in Haute-Sangha, M'Poko, Kotto, Société Coloniale de Haut-Oubanghi, Sultanates of Haut-Oubanghi, Plantations de la Luki, Amparo, etc., all for about 1 million francs (21-(1901)-106).
On October 28 1903, a new Board of Directors took over the administration of the Bank, with a program to reduce overheads, to bring back a flow of business, to closely monitor the administration of the Bank's subsidiaries (21-(1904)-84)
On May 29, 1906, the EGM decided to reduce the capital to 3 million while maintaining the number of shares at 60,000 capital shares and 90,000 dividend shares. Among the 60,000 capital shares or dividend shares are included the 4,706 capital shares amortized and replaced by dividend shares (12-(15/06/1906)-3328.
On June 13, 1928, the EGM decided:
1) to cancel the 4,706 dividend-right shares detached from capital shares purchased with the profits in the company's portfolio.
2) to convert the capital shares and dividend shares into sdv shares based on one share for one capital share and one share for three dividend shares.
3) to increase the capital to 20 million francs through the creation and issue of 170,000 new shares at a price of 100 francs each, which were subscribed by Mrs. Jules Vanhulst and Arthur Bolle, acting both for themselves and for third parties. The subscribers expressly undertook to make these new shares available to the owners of the old shares at a price of 110 francs each in the proportion of two new shares per share of old capital or per group of three old dividend shares, without fraction, and this only as an irreducible entitlement.
The share capital of BEF 20 million was then represented by 255,294 shares wdvwithout designation of nominal value (12-(22/06/1928)-9378).
Between 1920 and 1934, the company took several shareholdings through subscriptions or purchases, and by June 30, 1934 had a portfolio of securities with a total value of more than 22 million (21-(1935)-11).
This portfolio included the following colonial securities, among others:
2000 P.S. Belgika (Comptoir Colonial), 1,547 Priv. Compagnie du Kasai, 20 act. cap. Forminière, 20 act. Div. Forminière, 115 priv Union Minière du Haut Katanga, 50 act. Geomines " Cie Géologique et Minière des Ingénieurs et Industriels Belges ", 250 act. (40% paid) Société de Recherches Minière du Sud Katanga, 400 obl. Colony of Belgian Congo 1926 6% (Kilo-Moto), 1.000 priv. Chemin de Fer Léokadi, 390 p.s. 1st series Pétroles au Congo, 300 act. Cap. Compagnie Minière des Grands Lacs, 326 priv. Plantations Lacourt, 13 p.f. Plantations Lacourt (21-(1935)-11).
On November 21, 1935, following the Royal Decree of July 9, 1935, the company took the name of Coloniale de Belgique (12-(04/12/1935)-15683) and became a Holding Company.
The Company had increased its shareholdings while being led to make withdrawals in certain securities in order to have liquid assets that would enable it to respond to calls for funds in companies in which it had significant interests (21-(1952 T4)-3371).
At June 30, 1956, before the merger, its securities portfolio was included in the balance sheet for more than 45 million (21-(1956 T4)-3192).
This portfolio included, among others, the following colonial securities:
2,279 act. Financière Lacourt; 5 act. Auxiliaire Minière Coloniale; 6,320 act. Banque du Congo Belge; 196 act. Auxiliaire Forestière du Congo; 1,000 act. cap. 1st series, 1,000 act. cap. 2nd series, 106 act. jouis 1st series, 11 act. jouis 2nd series Chemin de Fer du Congo Supérieur aux Grands Lacs Africains; 171 p.s. Compagnie du Kivu; 578 p.s. Compagnie de Libenge; 530 p.s. Mobeko; 963 p.s. Compagnie Sucrière du Congolaise; 800 act. Minière de l'Aruwimi -Ituri; 660 p.s. cap.Société Minière de Bafwaboli; 1,786 p.s. Société Minière de Bafwaboli; 1,786 p.s. Société Minière de Bafwaboli; 1,786 p.s. Belgikaétain "Cie des Mines d'Etain de la Belgika"; 350 p. s. Forminière "Société Internationale Forestière et Minière"; 114 p. s. Minière du Beceka ; 47 act. cap. Minière de Lualaba (Miluba); 41 act. cap. Kasai Mining; 4,535 act. cap. Société Minière de Kindu; 10 act. cap. Minière du Luebo; 354 act. cap. Minière de la Lueta: 1,000 act. cap. Minière de Nyangwe; 795 act. cap. Brasserie du Bas-Congo; 500 act. cap. Brasserie du Kasaï; 150 act. cap. Brasserie de Stanleyville; 400 act. cap. Congolaise des Boissons; 910 p.s. Pétrole au Congo; 32,373 p.s. Belgika; 3,000 p.s. Intertropical-Comfina; 2,815 Priv. 300 act. cap. 704 p.s. New Compagnie du Kasaï (21-(1955 T4)-3186).
With regard to the distribution of profits, the company distributed regular dividends; the first of 1.50 francs was paid for the financial year 1900 to capital shares. After the conversion of the capital in 1928, the dividend for the financial year 1929 was set at 5 francs for the capital shares; they will be almost regular to reach in 1956 an amount of 14 francs (21-miscellaneous).
The Company's shares were listed on the Brussels stock exchange, the capital share on December 31, of the 1907 financial year was 50 francs and 9 francs for the dividend share. After the capital transformation in 1928, the share price at December 31, 1928 was 230 francs; the share price at December 31, 1955 was 602 francs (21-miscellaneous).
Dissolution, merger, liquidation, liquidation closure
On July 2, 1956, the EGM decided to merge Coloniale de Belgique with S.C.A.R.L. Belgika by transferring all the assets and liabilities of the company to the latter. It was decided that Belgika would pay a lump sum as a dividend and directors' fee for the financial year ending on June 30, 1956 to the shareholders, directors, and auditors.
The contribution to the company Belgika was remunerated by the allocation of 204,235 new shares which were distributed among the shareholders at the rate of 4 Belgika shares for 5 Coloniale de Belgique shares (12-(22-23-24/07/1956)-21265).
On November 10, 1959, the liquidation of the company was completed (12-(17/11/1959)-29444).