The Bill entitled " An Ordinance to consolidate and amend the Ordinances relating to Companies" came op for ite second reading at the meeting of the Legislative Council on Thursday. The Attorney General (the Hon, Mr. Rees Davies, X.c.) in speaking to the motion said that he did not hesitate to affirm from the information be bad freely reved from all quarters that the mea-bad been well received, not only monger the commercial community of Hongkong, bot by the commercial community of Shanghai also. The' Attorney Geveral referred to the recent judgement of the Chief Justice raising the question of the states of Shanghai companies under the Companies Ordinances of the Colony, the effect of the jadgement being that in his Lordsbi opinion in order to entitle a for company to register in Colony.|mast in reality carry on business in Hongkong. Ibe Attorney General that the Goveroment was fally imp: ed with the importance of the decision recognized that it was in the intereste of companies trading in the Treaty Ports and this Colony to preserve the existing system and for Government to place no stumbling-block in the way of Shanghai or other com-papios registering in this Colony, the local Companies Ordinances of 1907 and 1909 being expressly to facilitate the position of Companies that are registered here to carry on business onto side the Colony. He mentioned this showing the trend legislation bad recently taken, and having regard to the jadgement of the Chief sJastioe, the the Secretary of State with ing the statue quo ante These, if approved by the Secretary of State, would necessitate certain amendments to the Bill now before the Council, but these need not delay the consideration of the Bill by the Stand-log Law Committee. The Hon. Mr. E. A. Hewett, as the representative of the Chamber of Commerce, observed that though th been described by the Attorney.
"merely bringing the Hong! Ordinances up to date and in line with the company law at Home" yot it was a very great advance on the law as it now exists in the Colony. He indicated that the amendments suggested by the mercantile community might be " considerable" and asked that ample time sheld be allowed for the consideration of the Bill. The Attorney Geoeral replied that the Bill was bound to engage the Law Committee for " considerable time. id the result of the discussion was that the Bill was referred to this committee.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.