The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-09 00:00:00

JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES.

Mr. Lowe's Joint-Stock Companies Bill, in its
amended form, has just been printed. It is to be
called the Joint-Stock Companies Act of 185 G, and
is not to apply to banking or insurance establish-
ments. Under its provisions any number of persons
not less than seven may Constitute themselves an incor-
porated company, with or without limited liability; and
after the 3d of Nov. next no body of persons exceeding
20 in number, unless they are empowered by Parliament,
or by charter, or under the Stannaries juri-diction, are
to-associate as a company, except in cool'. rmity there-
with. A memorandum of association is to be loJged
with the registrar of joint-stock companies, giving the
name and oljects of the company, the mode of liability,
whether limited or unlimited, its capital and number of
shares? with the total taken by each subscrit er. It may
also contain regulations inserted for the management of
the undertaking, and, if these are omitted, the c onpauy
are to be bound by a certain set of regulations inserted in
a schedule of the act. E.ch company is to keep a register
of shareholders, to be coupled with an annual summary
of its position as regards capital, the calls made, and the
amounts of calls paid and overdue. The list of share-
holders is to be open to the inspection of shareholders
gratuitously, and to other persons on payment of ls.
Special resolutions may be passed by three-fourths in
number and value of the shareholders, and copies of
such resolutions are to bo forwarded to the registrar
within 15 days. Upon the application of one-fifth in
number and value of the shareholders in any company the
Board of Trade mayappoint an inspector to examine ano
report on its affairs, car the shareholders in general
meeting may appoint inspectors of their own, the
officers of the company being bound under penalties
to produce all books and docutnents. The liatility of
shareholders is to continue in unlimited companies f-o
three years after they may have transferred their shares,
and in limited companies for one year for any amoun,
of their shares remaining unpaid. A company may b
wound up upon a resolution to that effect in genera
meeting, or whenever it suspends its business for the
space' of a year, whenever the number of shareholders is
reduced belew seven, whenever it is unable to pay its
debts, or whenever it has lost, three-fsurths of its capital
Any cotrips.nv neglecting for three weeks to meet a chi,.
exceeding 501. is to be deemed urahle to pay its debts
The Court may appoint " official liquiLiaturs" to to
every thing necessary fer wincing up.

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 4th day of
April: 18.56.—Present the Queen's Most Excellent Ma-
jesty in Council. This day the Right Honourable Sir
Lawrence Peel, Knight, was by her Majesty's com-
mand sworn of her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy
Council, and took his place at the Board accord-
ingly, Her Majesty having been pleased to appoint
the Right Honourable Wm. Henry, Lord Leigh, to be
Lord-Lieutentant and Cus*.os Rotulo. um of the county of
Warwick, his Lordship this day took the oaths appointed
to be tlken thereupon, instead of the oaths of allegiance
and supremacy.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, APRIL 4.

This day had audience of her Majesty :—The Count de
Colloredo, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten-
tiary from the Emperor of Austria, to deliver his letter of
recall ; and George Mifflin Dallas, Esq., Envoy Extraordi-
nary and Minister Plenipotentiary from the United States
of America, to deliver his credentials; to which they were
respectively introduced by Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B ,
officiating for the Earl of Clarendon, K.G., her Majesty's
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and conducted. by
Col. Bagot, her Majesty's Assistant Master of the Cere-
monies.