as if it had not become registered as a company ; and every such right or claim, or the liability to any such penalty, shall have priority, as against the property of the company, over all other rights or claims against or liabilities of the company.
Saving for right of creditors.72. An amalgamation or transfer of engagements in pursuance of this Act shall not prejudice any right of a creditor of either or any society party thereto.
Conversion of society into branch.73.—(1.) A registered society may, by a resolution passed by a majority of the members or delegates present and entitled to vote at any general meeting, of which notice specifying the intention to propose any such resolution has been duly given according to the rules, determine to become a branch of any other registered society, and also, if thought tit, of any registered branch thereof.
(2.) If the rules of the society do not comply with all the provisions of this Act and of the Treasury regulations in respect of the registry of branches, the meeting at which any such resolution is passed may amend the rules so as to bring the rules into compliance with this Act and with the Treasury regulations
(3.) A copy of the rules of the society marked to show the amendments, if any, made at the meeting, and two copies of the resolution and of such amendment of rules, if any, as aforesaid, each signed by the chairman of the meeting and by the secretary of the society so determining to become a branch of another society, and countersigned by the secretary of that other society, shall be sent to the registrar.
(4.) If the registrar finds timt the rules, with or without such amendment as aforesaid, comply with the provisions of this Act and of the Treasury regulations, he shall cancel the registry of the first-mentioned society and register it as a branch of that other society, and also, if so specified in the resolution before mentioned, of any branch of that other society, without further request or notice, and shall register such amendment of rules without further application or evidence, and until such registry as aforesaid the resolution shall not take effect.
(5.) An advertisement of any cancelling of registry under this section shall not be requisite.
(6.) The rules of a society which becomes a branch under this section shall, so far as they are not contrary to any express provision of this Act or of the Treasury regulations, and subject to any such amendment thereof as aforesaid, continue in force as the rules of the branch until amended.
(7.) This section shall apply only to societies registered before the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
Meaning of special resolution.74. For the purposes of this Act a special resolution shall mean a resolution which is —
(a) passed by a majority of not less than three fourths of such members of a registered society, entitled under the rules to vote as may be present in person or by proxy (where the rules allow proxies) at any general meeting of which notice