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for the institution of Municipal Government and the

revision of the present constitution of the Legislative

Council, and that, Should you come to the conclusion

that additional staff is required over and above the

appointment of a Town Clerk, to avoid diverting your

existing staff from the immediate and urgent problems

of rehabilitation and development, I trust you will

not hesitate to raise the matter with me.

8. I have already expressed to Sir Mark Young

my appreciation of the thoroughness with which the whole

question of constitutional advance in the Colony of

Hong Kong was examined under his guidance and

supervision during his tenure of Office, and of the

clear and competent way in which the various arguments

and his conclusions were conveyed to me in his despatch

No. 145 of the 22nd October 1946. I also asked that an

expression of my appreciation be conveyed to

Mr. T. M. Hazlerigg, C.B.E.,M.C., for the experienced

advice and ready assistance which he gave throughout

to Sir Mark Young

understand that it is very

desirable that Sir Mark Young's despatch No. 145, and

this reply, should be made public in Hong Kong. I

agree to such publication of this correspondence.

It is fitting that this despatch should conclude

with a further acknowledgment of my deep appreciation

of the careful work of Sir Mark Young and Mr. Hazlerigg

in devising the means whereby His Majesty's Government

will best be able to give efrect to their desire to.

invite the inhabitants of the Colony of Hong Kong to

assume a fuller and more responsible share in the management of their own affairs.

I have, etc.

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