CO129-411 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [5-7] — Page 254

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No

194

Sir,

Pupp

REC

O

23129

REG 26 JUN 14

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG. 4th June, 1914.

251

1

ov ure

I have the honour to transmit for your consider-

ation a Bill entitled "An Ordinance to amend the Hongkong and

"Shanghai Bank Ordinance, 1866" together with Objects and

Reasons drawn up by the Attorney General.

2.

This Bill has been prepared at the request of the

Bank, and I am informed that the ambiguity of the wording of

Section 20 of the existing Ordinance recently gave rise to an

action against the Bank, and that though the Bank succeeded

before the Supreme Court of Hongkong, the point raised cannot be

considered as entirely free from doubt. In the case referred to

an appeal to the Privy Council was at one time threatened, but

was not proceeded with.

3 +

The third paragraph of the Objects and Reasons is

not true at present, but the Bill would, of course, not be

introduced until the Court of Directors had been duly authorised

as stated.

4.

The exact effect of the words "or by" before the

words "the Company" near the end of Clause 2 of the Bill is not

understood here, but as the draft is that of Mr. Frederick

Whinney of Lincoln's Inn, the Bank's advisers here are anxious

that the words should be retained though they do not appear to

give the Company any additional power.

5.

I also enclose a draft of a Notice which the

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT,

M.P.,

&c.

&C..

800-