- 3.
-
Press a notification inviting written representations on the subject from
members of the public who might feel that they were in a nosition to express
i
the opinions and wishes of any part of the community.
Enclosure 4.
Enclosure 5.
notification is also enclosed.
9.
A copy of this
Copy of
On
The replies of the representative bodies whom I had invited to
give their views were on the whole helpful, and in some cases much care
and trouble were devoted to drawing up proposals for consideration.
the other hand more than one important body found cause to comment on the
indifference shown by the majority of their members, and the attitude of
the general public was to some extent illustrated by the fact that only a
dozen letters were received in response to the invitation to members of the
public. The majority of these were unrelated to the question of
constitutional reform and only one contained any constructive suggestions.
10. On the 28th August, 1946, after a careful consideration of the
views which had been expressed in the various written representations, I
made a broadcast address on the subject of the proposed revision of the
Constitution. After referring to the desire of His Majesty's Government
that the issues involved should be thoroughly examined in Hong Kong, I
announced that the result of my enquiries up to that time had been to show
that the establishment of a Municipal Council and the transference to it of
some of the functions of the Government were generally regarded as being
the most satisfactory method of giving effect to the intentions of His
Majesty's Government, and that I was accepting this as a basis for the next
stage of my enquiry. I then outlined specific proposals on the formation
of a Municipal Council and the main questions involved therein.
I made it clear that these proposals were tentative in character
At the and that they were intended to serve as a basis for discussion.
same time I both invited the submission of further written representations
and also stated that I intended to ask representatives of all shades of
opinion to discuss orally with me in the immediate future the many matters
which would have to be determined. I enclose a copy of the text of my
broadcast, which was reproduced in full on the following day in the English
and Vernacular Press.