CO129-326 - Foreign Office - 1904 — Page 636

to the ridiculous that they could be described as

having their "principal place of business in the

Colony".

As far as I know no general instructions

have been issued as to the extent His Majesty's

Consuls are to afford protection to Hong Kong Com-

panies and in view of the contention of Messrs. Dea-

con, Looker and Deacon being to me a new departure,

I venture to submit my action in this case for your

information, and I trust approval.

(Signed)

I have, &c.,

R. Willis,

Acting Consul.

Dear Sirs:-

£632

3722:

HONGKONG,

23rd June, 1904.

31 001 00

Swatow Steam Launch Company, Limited.

With reference to your interview this

morning in which you stated that the Consul at Swa-

tow was objecting to the launches of the Company

flying the British Flag because the shareholders

were all Chinese we have to refer you to section 1

of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, by which it is

enacted that a ship shall not be deemed a British

ship unless owned wholly by persons of the follow-

ing description:-

d.

"Bodies corporate established under and

subject to the Laws of some part of Her Majesty's

Dominions and having their principal place of busi-

ness in those Dominions".

It was decided as long ago as 1846 in the

case of Regina versus Arnaud 9. Queen's Bench 806

that the individual members of such a body corporate

as is above referred to may be aliens, and there is

Messrs. Jardine Matheson and Company,

Hong Kong.

no