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blosure 7.

25.

the age of twenty three years.

(vii) Disqualifications,

The usual disqualifications such as

conviction of a felony, conviction of an offence

under the electoral law, lunacy, etc., should

debar persons from exercising the vote. There

should be no disqualification on the grounds of

occupation; officials of the Government and of the

Municipality itself, though not eligible to stand

for election or to be nominated as Councillors,

would be entitled to vote.

In connection with the proposed residential qualification for

Chinese subjects, some special provision is required in order that those

persons who left Hong Kong during the period of the Japanese occupation

should not be penalised. I suggest that some such proviso as the

following should be attached to the definition of the residential

qualification required both for voters and for candidates for election

or nomination, who are Chinese/subjects: Provided that any period of

absence from the Colony during the years 1942, 1943, 1944 and 1945 shall

be reckoned as a period of residence in the Colony for the purposes of

this provision if the claimant can show that he was resident in the Colony for a total period of four years during the years 1936 to 1941

inclusive and that he has resided in the Colony for one year since

August, 1945.

26. I come now to the difficult and complicated questions of

determination of electoral method of preparation of the registers, the wards, and the general manner in which the franchise of both Chinese and non-Chinese electorates shall be exercised. My recommendations on

For the considerations on these points are set out summarily below.

which these recommendations are based I am indebted to the diligent research and to the clear perception of Mr. Hazlerigg, to whose memorandum

on the subject I invite reference. It is appended as an enclosure to

this despatch.

27.

These are my recommendations:

(a) All electors should be registered. There should be two

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