:
I
ค
523
etc., will very clearly show.
Apart from the question of impracticability,
I think that a reference to the Amendments made in
the Hongkong ordinance of 1911 by the ordinance of
1915 with a view to making the ordinance applicable
to China Companies in China as well as to Fongkong Companies, will show that it was never intended that
the main body of the ordinance should apply to Home
Co:panies. Wherever & Section of the ordinance of 1911 is amended to make an appropriate provision
for Thins Companies, it refers to China Companies
only and not to ritish Companies.
On referring to Article 15 of the order-
in-Council 1915, it will be seen that the actual
words used are:- "The jurisdiction of the Court
in respect of all British Companies carrying on
business in China shall be exercised so far as
circumstances admit in accordance with the pro-
visions of the Ordinance". I think that the
obvious intention of this was to provide that the
Hongkong Companies ordinance of 1911 should apply in Chine as well as in ilongkong to Companies re- gistered under that Ordinance, and such a pro-
vision was obviously necessary upon the transfer
of Companies originally registered in Hongkong to
the the Registry at Thanghai as China Companies.
There is no indication in the Artle itself that
it intends to refer to liome Companies, and it is
only on looking at the definition of "British
Company that this meaning becomes possible. It
Beems probable that the definition of "British
Company"