A Social History of Company Law : Great Britain and the Australian Colonies 1854–1920

The history of incorporations legislation and its administration is intimately tied to changes in social beliefs in respect to the role and purpose of the corporation. By studying the evolution of the corporate form in Britain and a number of its colonial possessions, the book illuminates debates on key concepts including the meanings of laissez faire, freedom of commerce, the notion of corporate responsibility and the role of the state in the regulation of business. In doing so, the book advances our understanding of the shape, effectiveness and deficiencies of modern regulatory regimes. Contents......Page 6 List of Figures, Charts and Graphs......Page 8 List of Tables......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 1 Introduction......Page 14 2 Social Attitudes to Company Law: 1720–1855......Page 30 3 Christian Socialism and the Debate on Limited Liability......Page 70 4 The Reasons for the Enactment of, and the Form Taken by, English Limited Liability Legislation, 1855–1856......Page 90 5 The First Fifteen Years of Limited Liability Company Legislation in England 1855–1870......Page 140 6 The 1870s and Early 1880s: The Growing Acceptability of Limited Liability Incorporation......Page 190 7 The Consolidation of Company Law 1886–1914......Page 230 8 Limited Liability Company Legislation in the Colonies: The Australian Experience 1864–1920......Page 288 9 Conclusions......Page 326 Appendix I Companies in the Random Sample of 10 percent of all Registrations for the Years 1856, 1866, 1876 and 1886......Page 334 Bibliography......Page 346 Index......Page 364 By Studying The Evolution Of The Corporate Form In Britain And A Number Of Its Colonial Possessions, This Book Illuminates Debates On Key Concepts Including The Meanings Of Laissez Faire, Freedom Of Commerce, The Notion Of Corporate Responsibility And The Role Of The State In The Regulation Of Business. Introduction -- Social Attitudes To Company Law : 1720 To 1855 -- Christian Socialism And The Debate On Limited Liability -- The Reasons For The Enactment Of, And The Form Taken By, English Limited Liability Legislation, 1855-1856 -- The First Fifteen Years Of Limited Liability Company Legislation In England 1855-1870 -- The 1870s And Early 1880s : The Growing Acceptability Of Limited Liability Incorporation -- The Consolidation Of Company Law 1886-1914 -- Limited Liability Company Legislation In The Colonies : The Australian Experience 1864-1920 -- Conclusions. Rob Mcqueen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [333]-350) And Index. The history of incorporations legislation and its administration is intimately tied to changes in social beliefs in respect to the role and purpose of the corporation. By studying the evolution of the corporate form in Britain and a number of its colonial possessions, the book illuminates debates on key concepts including the meanings of laissez faire, freedom of commerce, the notion of corporate responsibility and the role of the state in the regulation of business. In doing so, A Social History of Company Law advances our understanding of the shape, effectiveness and deficiencies of modern regulatory regimes, and will be of much interest to a wide circle of scholars. Social attitudes to company law : 1720 to 1855 Christian socialism and the debate on limited liability legislation The reasons for the enactment of, and the form taken by, English limited liability legislation 1855/1856 The first fifteen years of limited liability companies legislation in England 1855-1870 The 1870s and early 1880s : the growing acceptability of limited liability incorporation The consolidation of company law 1886-1914 Limited liability company legislation in the colonies : the Australian experience 1864-1920. Through studying the evolution of the corporate form in Britain and a number of its colonial possessions, the book illuminates debates on key concepts within the area of incorporations legislation.