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assistance which proved of great use.
Encouraged by this, on the 1st June last Mr.
Sit Ming Cook registered a new Company, the "Can-
ton Wharf and Godown Company, Limited," with a capi-
tal of ten thousand dollars; on the 30th July was
next registered the "Canton Ngai Sun Engineering
and Shipbuilding Company, Limited", with a capital
of Forty thousand dollars; and I am informed that a
"Canton Land Investment Company" will be the next
venture.
All these Companies have their business in
this port, and to the best of my belief, though a
few foreign names may have been used in the appli-
cation for registration, the capital is all Chinese.
If protection is given them by this office it appears
certain that in process of time many similar busi-
nesses will be registered and we shall find our-
selves called upon to support numbers of doubtful
Chinese cases, to the great detriment of our present
standing with the Chinese Authorities.
$10,00000.
$40,000!!
The matter appeared to me of so much importance
that I applied to Her Majesty's Minister for instruc-
tions, and his reply was that I should be guided by
the following opinion from the Crown Advocate:-
"The Hongkong Ordinances having followed the Im-
"perial Acts in this matter, Her Majesty's Consul
"cannot do otherwise than protect British Companies,
"as such, whatever may be the nationality of the in-
"dividual directors, managers or shareholders".
With all due deference to this opinion, I must
confess that I cannot agree with it.
Consuls are established in China under Treaty
and in their dealings with the Chinese Authorities
must be guided primarily by the Treaties. The Trea-
ties provide for Consular intervention on behalf of
"British Subjects" and in a special and limited de-
gree on behalf of Chinese Traders in Hongkong.
Neither Imperial Acts nor Hongkong Ordinances can
override the Treaty, and I cannot believe that seven
Chinese may form themselves into a Company with
The
Chinese
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