NOTE ON CHINA ASSOCIATION'S REPRESENTATIONS
REGARDING THE PROPOSED ELECTED MUNICIPALITY
35
China Association's
Representation No.1
Comments
China Association's
Representation No.2
Comment
It is important that the new Municipality should
possess wide responsibilities and powers.
The Governor's proposals in paragraphs 31, 32,
33, 34, 35, 37 and 42 of his despatch, as modified
by the remarks under headings XI, XII, XIV, and XVI
in paragraph 8 of the Secretary of State's savingram
will give the Municipality as wide a field as can be contemplated at present.
The number of Councillors should be restricted
to 16 and non-members should be co-opted for Committees,
The Governor went into this question very
thoroughly (see paragraph 14 of his despatch) and
came to the conclusion that the number should be 30.
He gave his reasons for not favouring the suggestion
that non-members of the Council should be co-opted
on Committees.
China Association's
Representation No.3
Comment
Electoral colleges should be used instead of
the ballot box for election of Councillors until
such time as the general standard of literacy and
political maturity is such that a form of general
franchise can be introduced.
There is no indication in the Governor'g
despatch that this alternative has been considered.
This is not the first time that doubts have
been.expressed as to the practicability or desirability
of the adoption of the ballot box system for the
election of Chinese Councils see attached extracts
from documents on record here.
Father Ryan, in a
talk which I had with him recently, expressed his
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very
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