Beasley, J.

1. The plaintiffs are advocates of this High Court and the 1st defendant is an Insurance Company with its registered office in Madras and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th defendants are directors of the 1st defendant company, the 2nd defendant being its chairman. The 8th defendant is a firm of merchants, of which the 7th defendant is a member and is the managing agent of the 1st defendant Insurance Company. The plaintiffs bring this suit (1) for a declaration that they were validly elected "Policy-holders Directors" of the 1st defendant company for the year 1928, (2) for a declaration that the 1st defendant company has no power to nominate Policy-holders Directors for the year 1928, (3) for an injunction against all the defendants restraining them from excluding the plaintiffs or in any way restraining or interfering with the plaintiffs acting or attending as Directors of the 1st defendant company, and (4) for an injunction against all the defendants from making any further nomination or nominations as Policyholders Directors for the year 1928.

2. The claim arises under the following circumstances. The 1st defendant company has been carrying on the business of