and to be submitted to me as well, and also that audit
of the Council's accounts should be carried out by the
Colonial Audit Department.
(11) External control over the affairs of the
Municipal Counci11.
(a) ̈ By-Laws
..
By-Laws You will have observed from the
enactments referred to in paragraph 3 above that
both in the United Kingdom and in Colonies,
i
į.
by-laws made by local authorities require
confirmation by the central Government and that
in some cases the central Government has specific
powers to amend, as well as to disallow. In the
case of the Hong Kong Municipal Council it would
perhaps be sufficient to require confirmation
only without giving specific power to amend.
The requirement of confirmation of by-laws by
the central Government is a logical consequence
of the requirement that the Council should act
in conformity with the general policy of the
central Government (vide paragraph 3(g) of my
despatch of 3rd July 1947). I assume that
occasion for declining to confirm will not
frequently arise.
(b) Default powers As in the case in the United
Kingdom and in other Colonies, I consider it
desirable to provide for the intervention of the
central Government should the Council default in
the exercise of any or all of its functions.
It may perhaps be sufficient to provide for the
intervention of the central Goverment in
certain specific cases only, though I should be
glad of your views as to whether you consider it
necessary to provide for complete supersession
in case of general default. In the latter event
I should require my prior approval to be sought.
5. Delegation