17. Registration of societies formed before Act.-Any company or society established for a literary, scientific or charitable purpose, and registered under Act 43 of 1850, or any such society established and constituted previously to the passing of this Act but not registered under this said Act 43 of 1850, may at any time hereafter be registered as a society under this Act;

Assent required.- subject to the proviso that no such company or society shall be registered under this Act unless an assent to its being so registered has been given by three-fifths of the members present personally, or by proxy, at some general meeting convened for that purpose by the governing body.

In the case of a company or society registered under this Act 43 of 1850, the directors shall be deemed to be such governing body.

In the case of a society not so registered, if so such body shall have been constituted on the establishment of the society, it shall be competent for the members thereof, upon due notice, to create for itself a governing body to act for the society thenceforth