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effect that one member should be "neither Chinese nor
European" so as to give an opening to the Indian as well as to the Portuguese community, but I am averse from introducing
any racial question except in the case of the Chinese, where
it is inevitable. Under the arrangement, which I propose,
non-European electors would have members in whose election
they had taken a part and the fact that the members were not
of their own race would be immaterial. I have considered
whether, in view of the existence of separate members for
the Chinese community, Chinese on the jury list should be
deprived of votes for the other members but, on the whole, I
advise that they should not. The non-Chinese members should
be as representative as possible of the general community
including those Chinese whose knowledge of English somewhat
differentiates them from the mass of their countrymen.
9.
I have expressed my views on the constitution
of the Executive Council in my confidential despatch of the
23rd March, 1920, and I have nothing to add on that subject except that I recommend that in future appointments to the Executive Council should be for a term of years only and not for life. Such an arrangement seems to be necessary if these posts are filled as a rule from the Legislative Council. I suggest a term of five years.
10.
I am also of opinion, as indicated in my
77 despatch No.65 of the 26th February last, that the existing
term of appointment (6 years) to the Legislative Council is
too long and I would suggest that in future it should be three, or certainly not more than four years.
11.
If Your Lordship concurs in the proposals put forward in this despatch, the question arises of the manner in which they should be put into operation. I suggest that existing members of the Legislative Council be allowed to
serve out their time, their places being taken in due course
by