CO537-2188 — Page 172

DRAFT DESPATCH:

No.222.

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то ACTING GOVERNOR

69 on 54145/4/46.

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ONG KONG

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Eastern No.182

COLONIAL

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FINAL DRAFT REVISED

Constitutional Changes in Hong Kong.

In his despatch No. 145 of the 22nd October, 1946,

Sir Mark Young submitted his views and recommendations for

modifying the existing constitutional arrangements in

Hong Kong, so as to give the inhabitants of the Colony a

practical and effective share in the management of their

own affairs.

2.

These recommendations were the subject of close

examination in the Colonial Office and consultation with

Sir Mark Young prior to the statement which I made in the

House of Commons on the 5th of March, 1947. In that state

I announced my agreement with the main recommendation for

establishment of a Municipal Council, on the widest

representative basis possible, which would gradually assume

as many of the present functions of the Central Government

as can appropriately be assigned to it, and would embrace

in its administrative area the whole of the Island of

Hong Kong, the Kowloon ceded territory, and that part of the

New Territories known as New Kowloon. I also explained that

the remainder of the area of the New Territories had been

excluded for the present for the reason that it is rural in

character and therefore not suitable for immediate inclusion

in the area to be administered by the Municipal Council.

I further announced my acceptance of the proposal for a

modification in the constitution of the Legislative Council

so as to secure on that body a more direct and

proportionately increased representation of the unofficial

community.

3.

Since then further consideration has been given to

the details of Sir Park Young's proposals, as set out in his

despatch No.145 of the 22nd October, 1946, and I am now

in