NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(B)L 51-7406
Secret
2.
They are not
Armenotie 15
ang
bind
of Govenmt" whip.
3.
SECRET
Under the constitution of the Colony the
Governor is obliged first to submit any
proposals of this kind to his Executive
Council and may only act contrary to their
advice subject to reference of the matter in
question to me; thereafter any proposals must
be approved by the Finance Committee of
Legislative Council and finally by the
Legislative Council as a whole. The Unofficia
Members of those Councils, although nominated
by the Governor, are men of independent minds And in defendunt means jwho are not paid for their services. The
balance of official and unofficial membership
of the Legislative Council is such that the
Governor is in theory able to pass legislation
if he is prepared to use both his original and
casting votes. There have been no precedents
for such use of the Governor's vote in recent
years and for the Governor to do so,
particularly on such an unpopular issue as
again that of the defence contribution, would/risk
the resignation of many, if not all, of the
Unofficial Members of both Executive and
Legislative Councils with the consequent
disruption of the system of Government and
a distinct risk of disorders in the Colony,
where the Governor could expect little or no
popular support on such an issue. The chief
benefactors from such a situation would be
the Communists.
4.
With this background in mind and to
avoid creating the atmosphere of crisis which
was occasioned by the despatch of a Minister
to Hong Kong for the 1966 negotiations,
Sir David Trench proposed to our predecessors
Secret
/that