31
Appendix T.
SIR,
CHAMBERS, SUPREME COURT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 5th March, 1895.
I have the honour to state that soon after my arrival here in 1882 my attention was naturally attracted to the fact that there was no law or local Ordinance requiring or permitting the registration of partnerships. This struck me all the more as I have been for 28 years working, under the French Code which requires all Partnerships and Companies to be registered and I was not long in discovering that this absence of any provisions to this effect in our law led in the Courts to great difficulty in deciding who were or who were not partners and I have no doubt was the source of a great deal of perjury,
From several facts that came to my knowledge I was of opinion that a system of limited partnership or partnerships in commandite would be of great use here and would readily be adopted.
Seeing that the same subject bad been treated of by Sir Frederick Pollock in his work on Partner- ship and that he had at the request of Mr. Sampson Lloyd, then Member for Plymouth, drawn a Bill for the consolidation and amendment of the Law of Partnership and that he had therein provided for the introduction of a system of limited partnerships, 1 drafted a scheme founded on Sir Frederick Pollock's Bill and after consultation with the late Dr. Stewart, who was then Registrar General, who, being of opinion that the system would be accepted by the Chinese commercial community here, called a meeting of the leading Chinese to whom the draft was submitted and explained. Two or three meetings were held and the principle of the system was approved of, the draft was translated into Chinese and further consideration of the question was adjourned until the Chinese had had time to examine the details and further consider the scheme,
Dr. Stewart was soon after appointed Colonial Secretary, other duties engrossed my attention and the question was allowed to drop.
But I am still convinced of the usefulness and need of some such measure here as I think it would attract capital if a man could put a certain sum into a concern and feel that he incurred no further liabi- lity.
The scheme is altogether permissive, and therefore, were it not availed of, there would be no harm in passing such a measure as I now suggest.
If Your Excellency approves of the scheme and deems it worthy of a trial, the question might be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce, and if they see no objection, the leading Chinese merchants might be consulted.
His Excellency
SIE,
THE GOVERNor,
fc.,
&c.,
j'c.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
EDW. J. ACKROYD,
Acting Chief Justice.
Appendix U.
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S Office,
HONGKONG, 7th February, 1896.
Referring to Mr. Talbot's letter No. 1095,95 (Colonies) of the 14th February, 1895, I am directed to enquire whether the Bill providing for Registration of Partnerships has become law in the Straits Settlements, and, if so, to request that you will be so good as to furnish me with 3 copies of the Ordinance as finally passed together with a copy of the report of the proceedings of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements during the passage of the Bill through its several stages.
If, on the other hand, the Bill was not proceeded with after the second reading, I shall be obliged if you will kindly furnish me with the special reasons for its abandonment.
The Honourable
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY,
Straits Settlements.
I have, &c.,
J. H. STEWART LOCKHART, Colonial Secretary.