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elected members and that in the meantime the Young Plan to provide for a
Municipal Council should be held in abeyance. These proposals would be satis-
factory as far as European members were concerned but would not be so good as
regards the Chinese members who might well become stooges for whatever Chinese
Government was in power. The Legislative Council had however agreed to
nominate members who could combine to out-vote the Chinese members. Although
Sir A. Grantham had forwarded these proposals and recommended them, there still
remained the danger that the Chinese members would put forward views contrary
to Hong Kong's interests and if these were turned down they could make political
capital out of it by saying they only were the true representatives of the
people and their proposals were being turned down by an undemocratic Governor
assisted by his hirelings. After giving the matter very careful consideration
the Governor had spoken to his Executive Council about this and they had seen
the danger and agreed that indirect election would be a better proposal. If
the proposals he had now brought with him were accepted there would still be a
substantial unofficial majority which could not be overcome by the Governor's
original and casting votes. The result of this would be that in non-political
matters, such as taxation, the unofficial majority could carry the day. In
political matters however he thought that he could rely on the vote of the
Unofficial J.P.s, the Member for the General Chamber of Commerce, and the
officials and nominated members. The Urban Council members would also be
reasonably reliable and the only "dangerous" member might be the member for the
These proposals had been discussed with Sir C.
Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Jeffries, Mr. Paskin and Mr. Sidebotham vho agreed with them in general.
Mr. Sidebotham had suggested an unofficial majority of one only (thereby giving
the Governor control with his original and casting vote). The Governor agreed
that this was desirable if one wished to safeguard against all eventualities.
It was not necessary however if we only wished to safeguard politico interna-
tional issues. Just before the Governor left Sir Arthur horse had suggested
that the Social Welfare Association should also have a member and Sir A. Grantham
welcomed this, if it was found to be practicable, as it had the advantage of
giving the 'submerged tenth" representation. He did not know whether the member
would be a European or a Chinese.
/If