CO537-2188 — Page 272

TRAFT DESPATCH:

T

OVINA ROVESUR

sir.

FINAL DRAFT

63

69 on 54145/4/46

(17)

Constitutional Changes in Hear Keno

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

Sir Mark Young submitted his views and recommendations for

modifying the existing constituti.nal arrangements in

Hong Kong, no as to give the inhabitants of the Colony a

practical and effective share in the managesent of their

own affairs,

2. These reso mendations were the subject of close

examination in the Colonial office and consultation with

Bir kark Young prior to the statement which I made in the

Noune of Cemons on the 5th of March, 1947. In that

statement I announced my agreemant with the sain

recommendation for the establishment of a Municipal Council,

on the widest representative basis possible, which would

gradually assuɔe as many of the present functions of the

O ntral Goverment 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

How Territories bad been excluded for the present for the

reason that it is rural in ebaracter and therefore not

suitable for immediate inclusion in

ares to be

adəinistered by the imicipal Connoil. I further announced

my seceptance of the proposal for a modification in the

constitution of the Legislative Council se as to secure

an that body a moro direct and proportionately increased

representation of the unofficial community.

3.