CO537-1651 — Page 112

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11.

During the month of September, with Mr. Hazlerigg helping me,

I held discussions on the whole question of constitutional reform, and in

particular on the proposals for the establishment of a liunicipal Council,

with representative individuals and associations, both with those who had

already submitted their views in writing and with others. The general

result of these discussions and of the comments which have appeared in the

Press on the proposals contained in my broadcast has been to confirm my

belief that the establishment of a Municipality, on a model not differing

greatly from that which I originally proposed, will prove to be the most

appropriate and satisfactory form of political development for Hong Kong.

At the same time both the discussions and the comments in the Press have

brought to light various points in which the original proposals were

capable of being materially improved upon and I have no hesitation in

saying that the decision of His Majesty's Government that the people of

the Colony should be fully consulted at every stage of the preparation of

proposals for constitutional development has had most satisfactory practical

as well as political results.

12.

I pass now to the details of my recommendations relating to the

proposed Municipality.

13.

There has not been a

A single Municipal body is proposed.

single voice raised in favour of separate municipalities for the Island

of Hong Kong and the mainland of the Kowloon Peninsula.

Opinion is almost unanimous that the administrative area of the

Municipal Council should comprise the whole of the Island of Hong Kong,

the Kowloon ceded territory, and that part of the New Territories known as

New Kowloon. (The northern boundary of New Kowloon follows the 500 foot

contour line of the Kowloon foothills,dropping down to the sea at the

Lyemun entrance to the harbour on the East and to the harbour at Laichikok

on the West. Much of this is a closely built-up area intimately linked

by numerous streets with the ceded portion of Kowloon). I regard it as

essential that this urban portion of the New Territories should come

within the Municipal area.

With regard to the remainder of the New Territories, which is

mainly rural but contains some small townships, it is generally, but not