54145/4/47
CONFIDENT IAL BY HAND
Colonial Office,
Downing Street,
S.W.1.
6th June, 1947.
ราค
Dear Helsby,
Constitutional changes in Hong Kong
We sent you a copy of our secret savingram to Hong Kong No.32 of the 29th April, the draft of which was agreed with you, and you have also had copies of Sir Mark Young's reply, in his secret telegram No.817 of the 13th May, and of our further telegram to the Acting Governor, No.875 of the 1st June, in which we put to him a proposal for widening the present franchise qualifications.
As I think you know, the intention is that Sir Mark Young's despatch No.145 of the 22nd October last, which contains his recommendations for the establishment of a Municipal Council and a revision of the constitution of the Legislative Council, should be published in Hong Kong together with the Secretary of State's official despatch in reply as soon as the latter has been sent. we have, as you know, made a very close and detailed examination of Sir Mark Young's recommendations, and this has inevitably taken some considerable time. We feel, however, that we have now reached the stage when it is possible to prepare the draft of an official despatch for the Secretary of State to send in reply, and I am enclosing for your consideration the draft of such a despatch which has been prepared
L.N. HELSBY, ESQ.
in