CONFIDENTIAL
2
The franchise was to extend to all over the age of 25 on the Jury List, able to read and write either English or Chinese, and there was a residential qualification. Persons holding property above a certain value could also vote. The Council was to control all the original health functions plus Fire Brigade, parks and recreation, control of places of amusement and vehicle licensing. At a later date it was to take over control of education, town planning, social welfare and other services. It was to become the rating authority and to have its own funds from rates.
*!
biome
art
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Legislative Council opposition to Young Plan
3.
However, the plan foundered as a result of opposition in the Legislative Council, where the view was put forward that a strong body of opinion does not favour this reform and would rather see a larger and more representative Urban Council than through the cumbersome machinery of the proposed Municipal Council which, of necessity, would overlap a lot of the functions of the Colonial Government"..
• The Governor assured the Legislative Council that it was not the intention to press ahead with any proposals that did not have their backing, and subsequently a resolution was tabled in the Council, to abandon the Young Plan and to reorganise the Legislative Council (so recognising its standing in the community) to include some persons elected "by qualified residents of British nationality". Although the resolution was carried unanimously by the Unofficial Members, and despite some further, public interest in the reform question during 1949 (generally supporting the Legislative Council changes but deploring the delay in setting up a Municipal Council) the matter drifted inconclusively until 1952, when the Secretary of State announced that the number of elected representatives in the Urban Council would be increased from two to four, but that the time was not ripe for many major constitutional changes. This decision stemmed largely from
events in China in 1949, which created new pressures on the Colony's resources as a result of the influx of many hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Other postwar constitutional changes
4.
:
and fas.!
There have however been developments in other directions; the unofficial membership on Executive Council has grown from, four in 1946 to nine in 1970; and on Legislative Council from seven unofficial members in 1946 to thirteen in 1970. On the Urban Council, unofficial membership has increased from six appointed members in 1946 to ten elected and ten appointed in 1970. In 1952 an unofficial member of Legislative Council raised the question of reviving elections to the Urban Council in view of the delay in reconstituting the Legislative Council, Isaiand elections were resumed that same year, for the first time since 1941.
Since then the franchise has been widened to include various new categories of voters.
A
1st May 1971
(us) of stone
Letostider
Pre na
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT
Hardon baita - pero bre hajun,le
CONFIDENTIAL