CHINA.

III.

CHARTERS, CONTRACTS, CONCESSIONS FOR RAILWAYS, MINING, ETC., REGULATIONS CONCERNING SAME, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS.

ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY.

205

No. 31.

CHARTER OF THE RUSSO-CHINESE BANK.a

DECEMBER 10, 1895.

(Extracts.)

The original bears the following inscription:

His Majesty the Emperor has deigned to sanction this Charter at Tsarskoe Selo on the 10th of December 1895.

(Signed)

A. KOULOMSINE,

Manager of Affairs of the Committee of the Siberian Railway.

PART I.

ORGANIZATION AND CAPITAL OF THE BANK.

§ 1.

In virtue of the present Charter, a Joint-Stock Company is formed in order to found a Bank, for transacting commercial operations in the East-Asiatic countries, under the name of "Russo-Chinese Bank."

The Bank will transact the above operations through its branches, which will be opened in the above named countries, and through its agents.

The Board of Directors of the Bank (§ 27) and the ManagingDirectors (34) will be domiciled in St. Petersburg where a special Russian branch will be established in order to enable the Bank to place in Russia a part of its capital or funds temporarily unemployed; this branch will have the right to effect the transactions mentioned in Part II. § 14.

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§ 2.

The Board of Directors of the Bank has the right, in accordance with the decisions taken by the General Meetings of shareholders, which are held in St. Petersburg, and with the amortization of the Minister of Finance, to open branches in Russia and abroad where this may be necessary. The management and the transactions of each branch will be stipulated by the Board of Directors of the Bank with the approval of the General Meetings of shareholders on the exact

@ From English version approved by the agent of the Russian Ministry of Finance in London, M. Routkowsky.

basis of the present Charter. The operations of the branches of the Bank are guaranteed by the entire paid up Capital of the Bank, its reserves as well as by all its other assets.

§ 3.

The Bank is founded for an unlimited period.

$ 4.

The capital of the Bank is fixed originally at six millions Gold Roubles. This capital, formed by the issue of 48,000 shares of 125 gold roubles each, may be later on increased by means of new issues of shares of the same nominal value (125 gold roubles) to be decided upon by the General Meeting of shareholders and with the authorization of the Minister of Finance.

Remark 1.-By the Capital of the Bank is understood the amount of money actually paid in.

Remark 2.-In compliance with the decision taken by General Meeting of shareholders on the 27th of June 1898 and with the authorization of the Minister of Finance, the capital of the Bank has been increased from the 1st of January 1899 by Rs. 2,250,000 through the issue of 12,000 additional shares of a nominal value of Rs. 187,50 each.

Remark 3.-In compliance with the decision taken by the General Meeting of shareholders on the 22nd of June 1902 and with the authorization of the Minister of Finance, the capital of the Bank has been increased by Rs. 3,750,000—through the issue of 20,000 additional shares of a nominal value of Rs. 187,50 each.

PART II.

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OPERATIONS OF THE BANK.

§ 14.

The object of the Russo-Chinese Bank is exclusively to develop the commercial relations with the East-Asiatic countries. The Bank will have the right to transact in these countries through its branches and with the authorization of the governments of the respective countries, the following operations:

1.) The discount and re-discount of bills of exchange and other commercial papers maturing within one year.

2.) The purchase and the sale, for its own account and for the account of private persons and commercial firms, of goods and stocks of every description, as shares, bonds, etc.

Remark. The total amount of goods or securities not guaranteed by European States of prime order and purchased by the Bank for its own account, shall not exceed one quarter of the paid up capital of the Bank.

3.) The purchase and the sale, for its own account or on commission for account of third parties, of precious metals in bullion or coin, of drafts, of transfers and of credits of every kind.

4.) The opening of subscriptions for public loans and for issues of bonds and stocks.

5.) The forwarding by sea, river and land of goods and the acceptance of goods as collateral for advances made, the issue of warrants, in compliance with the conditions stated in 11 -b) section I of the present article.

6.) The acceptance of bills of exchange with or without guarantee, according to the rules specified in the remark to 11 -a) section I of the present article.

7.) The opening of accounts for the deposit of money for limited or unlimited time as well as of simple current accounts.

8.) The deposits and safe keeping of all kinds of securities and other valuables against a fixed commission.

9.) The issue of bank notes in Taels, Dollars, Pounds Sterling and in other currency of the country, for an amount not to exceed the paid up capital and the reserves of the Bank.

The said banknotes shall be issued to bearer and to be redeemed on demand by the Bank or by those of its branches which have issued

same.

Remark. The bank must always have in reserve, an amount in cash not less than one third of the amount of banknotes in circulation.

10.) The collection of duties in the Empire of China, and the transactions relating to the State treasury of the respective place, the coinage, with the authorization of the Chinese Government, of the country's money, the payment of the interest on loans, concluded by the Chinese Government, the acquisition of concessions for the construction of railways within the boundaries of China and the establishment of telegraph lines.

11.) The loans and the opening of credits for a term not exceeding one year;

a) against the deposit of Government securities and parts, shares and bonds of private corporations at a valuation not exceeding 90% of their market value.

Remark. In special cases, the Bank shall have the right to open to its customers, credits without special guarantee, but upon condition that the total sum of such credits shall not exceed one half of the capital (actually paid in) and of the reserve capital of the Bank, and that

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