2
agreement with the view that in the changed circumstances
of Hong Kong the Unofficial Members' conclusion is not
unreasonable.
A.
I have noted with much satisfaction that your
proposals include recommendations for an Unofficial
Majority in the Legislative Council, and I share your
view that membership of the Council must be confined to
British subjects. The proposal that the electorate
must equally be limited to persons who are prepared to
establish their claim to be British subjects would,
however, have the effect, in practice, of limiting the
proposed franchise to a very small proportion of the
present population of Hong Kong, but this is inevitable.
if direct elections on the lines which your propose are
to be held. I should therefore be glad if further
consideration could be given to the possibility of devising
other means, whereby the process for the selection of
unofficial members of Legislative Council would be placed
on broader basis, in which non-British, as well as British,
interests could participate. If it were found necessary,
in order to achieve this object, I would not exclude
from this review the adoption of some process of indirect
election. Indeed such an arrangement, if it proved
practicable, might avoid the considerable delay which
would certainly be necessitated if an electoral law for
Hong Kong for the Legislative Council had to be drafted
and enacted, electoral districts delimited, and the whole
machinery for holding elections set up. In this connection,
I am aware from my discussions with you that it would be
difficult under present circumstances to make the staff
with sufficient experience available for this work.
I note that your proposals do not contemplate
any further development of the Urban Council at this
5.
stage until certain difficulties which are dealt with in
paragraphs 28 to 30 of your despatch under reply have been
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