What is the subtitle for Chapter 3, "Consensus of One," a reference to?

The subtitle for Chapter 3, "Consensus of One," is a reference to only Ferdinand de Lesseps' ideas being those which count at the 1879 Congris International d'Ytudes du Canal Interocyanique in Paris. Clearly, de Lesseps dominates from personally inviting all who will attend, to scheduling the entertainment, to stipulating who will be sitting on which committees.