OUTWARD TELEGRAM
55
54145/4/47
Cypher (0.1, P,
TO HONG KONG (0.A,B)
FROM S. OF S. COLONIES,
Sent ist June, 1947, 17.45 brs.
Ha. 375 Serreto
16
Your telegram No. 817. (49)
Constitution.
tong's comments in above telegram are being urgently considered, As regards franchise, in view of objectione (30) mentioned in paragraph 5 of my savingram No. 32 of 29th April, I should aor see considerable difficulty in dealing with this polat as 1 originally suggeated and as Young proposed in abors telegram, Eowever point has been discussed with Hazlerigg and it is now avggested that objections to use of jury qualifiestion as one of the qualifications for franchise would be removed by providing that persons who satisfy Registration (fficer that they Are excluded from Jury List solely on grounds that they are over 30 or ace ignorant of English language, or on account of destuesh, blindness or other such infinity, or because they are females, shal) barrihelcas be eligible as voters. They would of course 2180 require the resideatie) and literacy qualifications. These da eemat similar but insufficiently comprehensive provision in soenzon 3(4)(b) of Ordinance 7 of 1955. I trust that you wi 31 fees able to agies to a solution on those or similar lines, as I Lue
sure that adoptien of proposals in their original form would 7296 rise to substantial critici
(4)
2.
Understand from Baslerigg that question of making females eligible for jury service is now under consideration Locally If there is carly prospect of legislation for that purvose, feralee might be excluded from enabling provisien augnated in preceding paragraph ̧ia saticipation of enactment of Buch legislatiæ.
3.
Please telegraph urgently whether you agree with proposal in paragraph 1. If so I propose da uy open reply to Young's dearatch to smreas upiake that teachies qalifications sold be misfisa u LA 7 My reply esaid, of ceuzat, tako int B00ODÙ Bay informtim mich could be made publie on the que lica misal is paragraph 2,
Cuples sont to:-
Pocalgų! 01 108 Treaty
7. 2 3
Iitaone Mr. Haleby.
Mr. H. R. Apperley.
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