CO129-287 - Public Offices & Others - 1898 — Page 382

373

merchants at Hongkong

Sit Ming Cook, an English speaking Chinese

here, is the General Manager. The Capital

is $10,000. Sit Ming Cook who has been to see

me states that though there is necessarily under

the Ordinance an Office in Hongkong, the business

is entirely here and that the Company takes over

the goodwill from him. This same man who is not a

British Subject, szerted in the same way last year

a Company known as the Wen Ku Steel gunch Company

Limited, of which he is also General Manager, to run

launches on the West River under the British

Flag, and obtained some help early this year from

the Consulate. He now tells me that another Land

Company on the same lines is in course of formation,

and apparently expects that all these Companies

being registered in Hongkong will enjoy British

protection.

It appears to me that if this is granted in

these three cases, it will not be very long before

most large Chinese businesses in Canton will be

formed

formed into Companies and registered in the Colony

under the Ordinance, with a few of such foreign names

as are obtainable at a small price. It is easy to

foresee that under such conditions the work of this

Office would attain proportions beyond all reason,

indeed the same might be said of most of the open

ports of China.

I would therefore ask your instructions,

(1)

and

As to whether the mere fact of registration

of a Company in Hongkong and the opening of an Office

there, entitles it to recognition as a British Company

in China.

(11) If the mere fact of Registration is insuf-

ficient, what are the necessary qualifications for its

recognition as above ?

(111) What proof as to such qualifications would

British Consuls be justified in demanding before giving

Consular assistance.

Those questions appear to me of extreme urgency

and I am therefore taking the liberty of enclosing

copy of this despatch to the Crown Advocate at Shanghai

and