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*The Guverner read it wen used in the carry '50s. - Ilmum in
Tout war wh.
wanz
Council subject to reference of the matter in question to
the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary; thereafter, any
proposals must be approved by the Finance Committee of the
Legislative Council and finally by the Legislative Council
as a whole. 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.
have been no precedents for such use of the Governor's
vote in recent years and its use, particularly on such a
potentially explosive issue as that of the defence contribution,
will certainly embitter relations between Hong Kong and HMG
for a long time to come and may even provoke disorders in
the Colony.
9.
There
Alternatively, the necessary legislation could be
enacted by prerogative Order in Council made under the power
reserved by Article IX of the Hong Kong Letters Patent. (This would avoid the build up of tension in the Colony during the passage of the necessary Appropriation Bill)
There is no Parliamentary procedure for the making of such
an Order, but once it became known that the Order had been
made a Member of Parliament might ask a question about it
or try to initiate a debate.
•
10. It cannot be denied that Hong Kong could afford to
pay a contribution of £8.5 million per annum (and over a
period of 7 years instead of 5 years an even higher figure
might reasonably be expected). The Colony benefits
3.
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/appreciably