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To E
EXCELLENCY
SIR HERCULES G. R. ROBINSON, Knight,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Colony of Hongkong
and its Dependencies and Vice-Admiral of the same.
This Memorial of Residents in the Colony of Hongkong humbly Sheweth : That the Memorialists whose names are hereto subscribed respectfully lay before Your Excellency their anxious desire that the Law of Limited Liability of Shareholders in Joint Stock Companies as prevailing in England may be carried into effect in this Colony.
2. Your Memorialists are aware that an Ordinance embodying this principle and described as the "Companies' Ordinance of 1864" was lately rejected on its second reading in the Legislative Council by a majority of one vote, hut your Memorialists are led to believe that this circumstance simply arose from a misapprehension of the views held on this important question by the great majority of this Community.
3. Your Memorialists are deeply interested in the prosperity of the Colony and are convinced that its welfare can be largely promoted by Joint Stock Associations formed for the purpose of carrying out such enterprises as cannot be undertaken by single individuals or by Mercantile firms. And your Memorialists clearly perceive that such combinations of private Capital can only be attained through the influence of a measure which will limit responsibility of Shareholders to a fixed
extent.
4. It is most respectfully submitted by your Memorialists that there always is in this place and in the neighbouring Ports of China a certain accumulation of private means not actively used in Commerce, and which could in many ways be advantageously employed were the desired Law in force. There is also a large stream of wealth constantly leaving China, some of which would assuredly remain here for permanent investment, by means of the facilities created under the operation of the said Law. An amount of outside Capital would thus be attracted to the Colony which would greatly stimulate its industrial character. It is moreover highly probable that nearly all the public Companies at the open Ports of China, would in course of time, avail of the privilege of registration in this Colony which would thins become the Official Head Quarters of many important enterprises, and attain a more eminent position in connection with the trade of China than belongs to it now. 6. Lastly your Memorialists confidently believe that there is nothing exceptional in the character of Hongkong as a place of business, so as to render it unfit to possess the desired facility for local enterprise, and your Memorialists earnestly pray Your Excellency to consider with favour this petition, and again lay before the Legislative Council the " Ordinance of 1864," together with this prayer of the Inhabitants that the said Ordinance may become the Law of this Colony. "Companies' And Petitioners humbly pray, &c.,
your
George J. Helland.
A. W. P. Kup.
Richard Deacon,
R. C. R. Owen.
Wm. Punchard.
M. Poulson.
H. Kiar.
James Purdon.
John G. I'urdon.
T. Pvke.
C. T. Smith.
J. B. Taylor.
J. Middleton, Jr.
W. D. King,
Win. Neilson.
E. A. Hitchcock.
Murdoch Forbes.
E. N. Neilson.
W. N. Olmsted.
J. M. Mar.
W. Schmidt.
Ernest Major.
William H. Dagliesh.
José Candido dos Remedios.
H. A. Leiria,
James A. Taylor.
W. R. Robertson,
Edward I. Pollard,
Robert S. Walker.
Wu. 11. Notley.
H. Kaiser.
M. Brussel.
Jobu G. Hodgson.
C. Bertrand.
G. Carré,
L. Petel.
N. Caudray.
Francis Chomley.
Alex. Turing.
A. J. Ede.
B. Kindersley.
Duncan Davidson.
F. J. Pereira.
E. Wheeley.
Z. Burton.
A. Einbeke.
Edmund Sharp.
Granville Sharp.
V. Kresser.
Y. J. Marrow,
James Kemp.
Geo. Blakeway. G. Ellissen.
J. W. Torrey.
H. Detmering.
C. Budde.
Edward Mellish.
R. Rowett.
W. Sheppard.
A. E. Vaucher.
C. W. Murray.
J. C. Baldwin. Francis Parry, Jamieson Elles.
A. Coxon.
W. Scott Riddell, Fred. T. Smith.
E. Schütz.
J. Hart.
F. Schütz.
W. C. Young.
J. W. Maclellan,
Henry Noble.
W. Nissen.
Francis D. Fairley.
J. M. Vickers.
Wm. Brand,
Geo. E. Stokes. G. Smith.
H. Thorburn.
William Dick,
D. W. Maclellan.
W. J. Bain.
C. J. Wilkinson,
William Snell.
R. Schetelig, M.D.
A. T. Carmichael.
Ruttonjee Manockjec. Rob. Guild.
M. Pestonjee.
Dadabhoy Eduljee. Furdonjee Dhunjeebhoy. Muncherjee Cowansjee. Telanghir Pestonjee.
Charles Jameson. B. J. Melita.
R. S. Lungrana.
Dadabhoy Causjee Jutee.
D. M. Lungrana,
S. A. Subadar.
D. Carsetjee.
A. Byramjee.
Hormusjee Nusserwanjee Coope.
Ardasir Ichanghirjee.
Hormusjee Pestonjee. Pestonjec Dinshaw.
E. P. Dhalla.
P. N. Patell.
P. Merwanjee Lunger.
JI. N. Mody.
S. Rustomjee.
Bapoojee Pallunjee. Pestonjeg Dajabloy.
K. M. Erance.
Eduljee Sapoorjer.
Cursetjee Jewaujee Mehta. Rustomjee Hormusjee.
R. Pestonjee. Edulji Pallauji.
0. Hoffman Barrows.
Palanjee Framjee. Edalji Nassarwanji,
H. B. Dantia.
Cowasjee Nesserwanjee. Dhunjeebhoy Cursetjee. Rustomjee Cowasjee,
S. M. Metta.
Framjee Bomanjee. Hormazji Edalji. Cursetjee Byramjee Bhabla. Eduljee Mendosjee. Essabhoy Fuzul
A. Sapoorjee.
R. Devjee. Framjee Sorabjee. (In Asiatic Characters.) Ameerodeen Abdoollatiff. Abdoolhoosain Abdoolally. Cassumazy Ameeraly. Eduljee Rustomjee.
B. Cawasjee.
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