CO885-(13-15) — Page 591

23324.

No. 196.

(SOUTH AFRICA.)

¥

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O.

885

SIR,

LAW OFFICERS to COLONIAL OFFICE.

Royal Courts of Justice, 17th October, 1898.

WE were honoured with your commands signified in Mr. Graham's letter of the 30th ultimo stating that you had directed him to forward for our consideration a copy of the Draft of a Supplemental Charter which it was proposed to grant to the British South Africa Company with a view to the amendment of their Principal Charter of December 20th 1889, in accordance with the terms which were embodied in the enclosure to your Despatch of 13th January, 1898, printed at pp. 1-4 of the accompanying Parliamentary Paper C. 8732.

That the Directors of the British South Africa Company, after some discussion had agreed to accept the Supplemental Charter, some of the clauses of which were, as would be seen, of a restrictive character, and that a recital to that effect had been inserted in the Draft.

That the other proposals in the Parliamentary Paper relating to the future government of Southern Rhodesia had been embodied in a Draft Order in Council which would be separately submitted to us.

That Mr. Graham was also to enclose for our consideration a copy of the British South Africa Company's Deed of Settlement which it was assumed would require alteration to bring it into agreement with the terms of the Supplemental Charter. That you would be glad if we would give you the benefit of our opinion upon this point, and would indicate the alterations which we might consider desirable in either, or both, of these documents.

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present,

That in the event of our approving the Draft Supplemental Charter in its or an amended form, you would be glad to learn whether in our opinion it would be necessary for it to be accepted by resolution at a General Meeting of the Company, or whether their acceptance of your proposals (contained in the Parliamentary Paper C. 8732 above referred to,) at the General Meeting of the Company held on the 21st April last as reported in the Directors' letter to the Colonial Office of 4th May, could be regarded as a sufficient acceptance by the Company of its terms.

In obedience to your commands we have taken the matter into our consideration and have the honour to

Report,

I

14 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

by us.

THAT we approve of the Draft Supplemental Charter as altered and initialled

Alterations are required in the Deed of Settlement in Articles 3 (2) and 82. have indicated these in the copy initialled by us.

We

We think that the Supplemental Charter should, with the amended Deed of Settlement, be accepted and approved in General Meeting by Special Resolution. (See Article 112 of the Deed.)

We have, &c.,

RICHARD E. WEBSTER.

ROBERT B. FINLAY.

The Right Honourable Joseph Chanıberlain, M.P.

etc.

etc.

etc.

906-25-11/98 Wt 21619 D & S

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