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1. brown Agents O/GEN. 327/9 1a Proso butting Times"
2. 11tong Kong - Secret Tel. 255
2.
6-2-47.
1-47.
74-2-47
1. Our telegram at 79 on the 1946 file stated that the Secretary of State was inclined to think that the main constitutional advance in Hong Kong should take place in the central Government and not by means of local Government. The Governor has replied in 2 that he and his advisers remain strongly of the opinion that the best course of progress is by the establish- ment of a Municipal Council.
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I think that the Governor's arguments are convincing and that we should now accept the proposals to establish a Municipal Council along the lines set out in his despatch No. 145 at 69 on the 1946 file together with a revision of the membership of the Legislative Council so as to give an unofficial majority apart from the Governor's original and casting vote.
3. The two grounds which we gave for doubt about proceeding by way of a Municipality were (a) the precedent of Singapore and (b) the lack of enthusiasm displayed for the proposal by the people of Hong Kong. 'As regards (a) the Governor quotes three reasons supplied by Mr. Hazlerigg as to why the circumstances of Singapore should not be regarded as comparable with those of Hong Kong. They are generally convincing, particularly the point about the transient population in Hong Kong fluctuating according to conditions in China. Also, Hong Kong is so much nearer to China, indeed is geographically part or China, that links are much closer than in Singapore. (I understand that many families who have been resident in Hong Kong for years commonly maintain an establishment also in China,
4.
On the second ground, the lack of enthusiasm, the Governor is emphatic that the proposal for a Municipal Council commands more support than any alternative proposal and that a popularly elected Legislative Council would be a mistake. In paragraph 12(ii) of his telegram at 2 he refers to the presence of aliens on the Legislative Council. I do not think that we con- templated this. But our discussions did not take account of the fact that, if progress were to be by liberalizing the central Government rather than extend- ing the local Government, and if the Legislative Council were confined to persons of British nationality, then only one-fifth of the population of Hong Kong would be represented.
Would it be said that any
notable step had been taken towards "giving to the inhabitants of Hong Kong a fuller and more responsible share in the management of their own affairs" if it were only to be given to such a small fraction of the total population? The desirability on political grounds of not withholding political rights from genuine Chinese residents of Hong Kong who may not also be British subjects is I suggest a major argument in favour of progress by way of a Municipality.
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