LIEMORANDUM.
BOARD OF TRADE.
Solicitor's Department.
15th August, 1919.
130
I return the papers herewith, and suggest the alterations that I have made in red ink in the Bill. I make this suggestion because as Lord Milner is of opinion that the interests of British subjects who may suffer by the continuance of the present state of the Law warrants the suggested change in the Law in the Colony, his view must of course be given effect to. At the same time, with deference, I hardly think that the words suggested by way of amendment quite meet the case. While I would suggest thet the exemption should be limited to the cases where foreign countries do not require the use of a seal, if we use words excluding companies who could use a seal though they are not required to use one by the law of their country, a great deal of inquiry would have to be made as to whether notwithstanding the fact that a Company was not required to use a seal for the documents in question, a company could use one if required to do
I think therefore it would be wiser, having regard to the relief which Lord Milner desires to give and to the desire of the Colony not to be put to needless inquiry, that the relief should be limited to those companies who are not required by the law of their country to use a seal. Information on this point could no doubt be easily obtained from the Representatives of foreign countries but it would not be so easy to find out from them whether or not, notwithstanding that they were not required to use a seal, they could use a seal.
80.