J
to do would be to send an open despatch, which
could be published, and would reach the Colony about
the time of Grantham's return in October, not saying
yes or no to the proposals of last year, but
suggesting as from himself certain ways in which, in
his view, they might be modified with advantage.
Those suggestions would then pave the way for Grantham
to submit formally, after discussion with the
Unofficials in Hong Kong, his new proposals which
the Secretary of State would then be prepared to
accept.
F
4. Grantham was anxious, however, that you should
have an opportunity of seeing this despatch in draft
for wom promig in case you had any further suggestions to make and
I enclose a copy herewith. Its wording has been
very carefully considered from the point of view of
susceptibilities at this end in Parliament and
elsewhere, and also from the point of view of possible
repercussions in Singapore when it is published, since,
as you know, there has been great insistence there lament
vokzalea lī
that electores themselves must be British subjects
which would not be the case in Hong Kong under
Grantham's latest proposals.
The wording of the
despatch has therefore been very carefully framed to
keep this point as far as possible in the background.
We here, of course, appreciate that the position in
Hong Kong is quite different to that in Singapore,
but we wish to avoid as far as possible making any
in
Colony,
difficulty at that end of the picture. You will see
draft
from the despatch that one of the principal alterations
which we have suggested in the proposals is the
reintroduction of the elective system for the Urban
District Council and the extension of that system
in regard to membership of that Council, as well as
the desirability of the Urban Council being one of
/the
X 7 No 37
it for public consumption
Copy of draft despatch
Page 95Page 96