opy.
(100045).
No.112.
390
30760
REC
REG 24 JUN 18
BRITISH LEGATION, PEKING
March 8th, 1918.
•
sir,
Upon receipt of your despatches Nos.119 (202858/10F/
17) and 120 (202858/10F/17) of November 22nd, 1917, I
addressed enquiries to His Majesty's Consul General in
accordance with your instructions asking for his views with regard to the two proposed amendments to the China
(Companies) Order in Council,1915, in order to rectify
the defects that have become apparent in connection with
the cases of the Hoong On Steamship Company, Limited, and
J.A.Wattie and Company, Limited respectively.
I now have the honour to enclose a copy of Sir
Everard Fraser's reply to the effect that both the pro-
posed amendments are desirable, and that in this opinion
both the Acting Crown Advocate and His Majesty's Assis-
tant Judge concur.
You will observe that it has not proved necessary to
bring the case of Messrs. Wattle before the Court for a
decision as that Company has now registered as a China
Company. Nonetheless the proposed amendment is considered
necessary to prevent the possibility of similar claims
in the future.
Sir E. Fraser raises the question whether some defini-
tion of the term "resident" under the Order is not desir-
able. On this point I do not feel altogether competent
The Right Honourable
A.J. Balfour, 0.M., M.P.,
to
&c., &c., Ac,,