Corucit.
The despatch from Lord Ripon on the same paper, written as he was leaving office, would have stated that he was prepared "if it be the case that public opinion would favour an addition to its numbers", to add one official and two unofficial members to the Legislative Council. He would also have been prepared to admit unofficial members to the Executive Council. This was a confidential despatch.
The difficulty in Hongkong has been and is that there is no municipality. It has been decided that it is impossible to separate colonial from municipal matters. The Sanitary Board has neither been exalted into a municipality nor wholly abolished. It is in existence with an official majority.
As there is no sign of any municipal feeling, it is quite large enough that the public think the Legislative Council is balanced as it is. The Governor says so plainly and that it is hard to imagine it could be doubted. There are seven officials and five unofficial members, including the Governor.
Whatever happens, Hongkong must remain a Crown Colony; therefore, it can serve no useful purpose, but cause irritation if the two sides are made nearly level, as they already are in the Finance Committee from which the Governor is excluded and in which the Colonial Secretary takes the chair.
The General is not in the Council. He ought to be, because he will administer...