File No.....
Mr..
7.S.Carter 22/"
2
Mr. Calian Rufins пс
Mr..
24/14
Permt. U.S. of S.
Parly. U.S. of S.
Mr.
Sir.....
Minister of State Secretary of State
Your Reference.....
Date.
DRAFT
s/o letter
88
Page 60
th
24 November, 1965.
Sir David Trench, K. C.M.G., M.C.,
Government House,
I am very sorry indeed that you have not had an earlier reply to your letter of the 26th May about the
VICTORIA,
Hong Kong.
future of the Urban Council and
focal fovernment
for statement,
1/2
We ague with the reasons for ging comedention to the purkey set out Joges 4 and 5 1 you letter,
FURTHER ACTION
Page 60
(7445) 86B 25M 4/65 S.P.&D. Gp652
generally. As Carter explained to you in the short
discussion you had with him on these matters during your
here in October
visit, these last few months have been difficult for
those of us handling Hong Kong affairs.
But it is
nevertheless regrettable that we did not send you
earlier such comments as we were in a position to let
you have, particularly the views of the Foreign Office.
N.P.3.
2.
find your proposals most interesting, /I
think you will be glad to know straightaway that we адли
o not consider they can be regarded as amounting to
"major constitutional change". You ok whether local
covernment is in fast part of a country's constitutional
structure It is perhaps arguable that local government,
being part of the machinery by which a country is ✔
Eoverned, is part and parcel of its constitution
ADACHELL The argument for this proposition is
strongest in cases where local government institutions
are specifically linked with territory-wide
mtitutions (e.g. local government bodies form
electoral colleges or are in some other way the basis
for representative institutions on a territorial basis).
An assertion to the centrery would no doubt be hotly
Page 60
In the they count reasonably
contested-in “ozdemio eireles, But for all practical
/purposesPage 61 of 344