Willis: Anglo-American Law 
17 
of natural persons. They can do only those things which 
can be done by an agent. There are certain crimes which 
they cannot commit. They are not liable for ultra vires acts, 
that is, acts in excess of the legal capacities given them by 
their charters. However, coincident with the development 
of the notion that corporations are real entities, there is de- 
veloping the notion that they should be treated like natural 
persons so far as concerns liability; and that the doctrine of 
ultra vires is unsound . 13 The capacities of agents and the 
liabilities of agents and principals for the acts of agents are 
limited by the doctrine of the scope of authority. Partners 
and the members of other unincorporated organizations have 
in the past been treated as individuals, but there is a tend- 
ency developing to treat these organizations as legal entities. 
13 See articles on this subject by Edwin M. Borchard in Yale L. Jcmr. for 1924-1925 
and 1925-1926. 
2—36004 
