No 219
N°
C.O
24315
RECE 415 14 JU 13
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 23rd, June, 1913.
7 4335
Sir,
BT.1370-6
douures
یخ
With reference to your Despatches No. 81 of thei
27th. March, 1913, and No. 115 of the 26th. April, 1913, I have the
honour to transmit the enclosed copies of letters from the llongkong
General Chamber of Commerce whose opinion I asked on the subject of
the registration of ships owned by Companies having their principal
place of business in Chinese Treaty Ports.
2.
In my opinion there does no appear to be any necessity for legislating in this Colony with a view to enable Companies registered in Hongkong but having their principal place of business in a Chinese Treaty Port, to register their vessels under the British flag. I attach a list of vessels registered in Hongkong whose owners have their principal place of business in Shanchaj. There are no other Treaty Ports concerned. It will be observed that only two Companies would be concerned in such legisla- -tion. From an examination of the returns concerning then lodged with the Registrar of Companies it is clear that neither of them cr be regarded as British, nor, as at present constituted, as likely to fall in with the limitations and conditions as to British character which would probably be imposed.
3.
Moreover I do not understand how any legisla- -tion in Hongkong, as sugested in .r. Logridge's letter of the 23rd. April addressed to the Foreign Office, would benefit a
Company
H RIGHT HONOURABLE
ŽE IS HARCOURT, M.P..
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