Chapter 762: Investment and Voting
Chevènement gave everyone ample time to digest the news, then added:
"This investment will amount to tens of millions of francs.
"But if Wallonia remains outside of France, the French government, for risk considerations, would likely not approve these funds."
A committee member in his fifties couldn't help but stand up. "Do you know how long it will take for this investment to materialize?"
Chevènement replied, "Count Mirabeau's assistant arrived last week, accompanied by the regional manager for the Bank of France's northwest territories. If Wallonia's incorporation into France is finalized, they will immediately sign an agreement with the newly established Namur administration.
"As you know, the surveying and planning work has already been completed, and full-scale construction could begin around October."
Everyone immediately began an excited discussion about how to divide such a massive pie among themselves.
One must remember, if the government directly invests 10 million francs, it will stimulate over 30 million francs in capital flow across the entire industrial chain!
Just getting a slice of this would instantly elevate one's status and wealth.
Not only would it allow for the fuller development of Wallonia's immense coal and iron resources, but simply calculating the Industrial Development Fund's share in Wallonia, at least a quarter of the funds would eventually flow back into the French government's coffers.
Including later revenue from railway transportation, the investment would likely break even within five or six years.
Immediately, more and more Chamber of Commerce members—mostly representatives of major coal and iron capital—expressed their agreement to merge with France, and their numbers quickly surpassed forty.
Including the representatives from military backgrounds, the total number now exceeded two-thirds of the committee members.
This meant that even if Chevènement called for an immediate vote, the resolution to incorporate into France would pass.
Yet, he merely gave a subtle nod to Eyck, the Chamber's administrative consultant.
The latter quickly came to the stage, gestured for silence, and unfolded a piece of paper, declaring:
"This is news that just arrived from Paris a few days ago. The gist is that, after its incorporation into France, Wallonia will be divided into three provinces: Hainaut, Liège, and Southern Brabant.
"The candidates for Governor and Municipal Commissioner will be nominated by the Chamber..."
Someone immediately noticed something amiss and asked:
"Mr. Eyck, did you say Southern Brabant Province? Shouldn't it be Namur Province?"
Southern Brabant is a larger geographical name. From north to south, it includes Antwerp, Brussels, and Namur. Of these, only Namur currently belongs to Wallonia.
Eyck adjusted his spectacles, looking at the document in his hand.
"It states here that Southern Brabant Province will include Brussels and Namur."
The committee members gasped in astonishment:
"What? Brussels?"
"How could it include Brussels?"
"Have the gentlemen in Versailles forgotten that the Flemish occupy that area..."
Eyck raised the document. "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's army set out for Brussels three days ago.
"Perhaps, soon, it will no longer belong to the Flemish."
Chevènement continued:
"The Austrian army has already fled to Leuven. Currently, Brussels is only being defended by a few Dutch soldiers."
At this, the eyes of even those committee members who had previously been hesitant about merging with France lit up.
Brussels was the heart of the Southern Netherlands!
If that region could be integrated into Wallonia, it would provide a tremendous boost to overall economic development.
It was no exaggeration to say that Brussels' vast market could expand the businesses of everyone present by twenty to thirty percent in a short amount of time.
The following morning, the Walloon Chamber of Commerce commenced voting on the matter of merging with France.
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