1911
C 17
Every society, registered or exempt, is required to supply on demand from the proper officers true copies of its constitution and rules, and information as to its officers and membership.
It is not intended that permission to be registered under the Ordinance shall be withheld except in the case of a society which is likely to be used for unlawful purposes (or for purposes incompatible with the peace and good order of the Colony), or which may possibly excite tumult and disorder in China.
No. 52 of 1911.—Peace Preservation Amendment Ordinance. This Ordinance gives the Magistrates power, during the continuance of any proclamation under the Ordinance, to inflict the punishment of flogging for a number of offences against peace and good order, in addition to the ordinary penalties.
No. 53 of 1911.—The Chinese Partnerships Ordinance. This is an Ordinance to provide for the registration of Chinese partnerships, and to enable partners therein to register and thereby to limit their liability.
It is hoped that this Ordinance, which has been welcomed by the Chinese, will solve a question that has engaged the attention of the Government for nearly 40 years. The chief difficulty to be met was that the Chinese system of partnership in which there is a general partner who is responsible for all debts of the firm and others whose liability is limited, comes midway between our systems of limited liability and ordinary partnership respectively. The Partnership Ordinance of 1897 was quite inadequate in that it took no cognisance of Chinese customs with regard to partners, merely laying down the principles of the unlimited liability of each partner for the debts of the firm, the dissolution of the partnership on the death or bankruptcy of any partner and a limit to the number of partners, none of which principles are recognised by Chinese customs. The present Ordinance recognises these customs and makes registration voluntary so that Chinese partnerships that do not elect to register are subject to the principle of unlimited liability; but it is hoped that the offer of the facilities given by the Ordinance will be sufficient inducement to secure general registration.
GENERAL.
The 22nd June, the day of the Coronation of His Majesty King George V, was universally observed by the Chinese as a day of rejoicing. Triumphal arches were erected, "fish" and "lantern" processions held, the theatres were open all night for four nights, and many other forms of celebration were devised and carried out by the community.
Further representations were made to the Registrar General during the year as to the increase in number of secret societies and of bad characters in the Colony. In the summer the existence of a dangerous secret society, called the Hung To Society, was detected