CO537-2188 — Page 509

Code

INWARD TELEGRAM

COPY FOR REGISTRATION

11/08

I

FROM HONG KONG (Sir M. You

TO S. OF S.. COLONIES.

RECEIVED

ΙΛ

D. 7th February, 1947 R. 7th

19.25 hrs.

No. 255 Secret.

IN

2

X

REGIE

79

on

46 file

Constitution.

Following are my views on points raised in your telegram No. 152. They have been discussed with the following officials, Hazlerigg, Macdougall, Todd and Megarry, to whom I had shown my confidential despatch as well as my open despatch, and they are in agreement.

2. I remain strongly of the opinion that the best course of constitutional development in Hong Kong is by the establishment of Municipal Council constituted and functioning as proposed in my despatch, and that adoption of the alternative course suggested in your telegram would be unsatisfactory in operation and disappointing to the great majority of those who have a proper desire to participate more fully in the administration of the affairs of the Colony, and who have already expressed their opinions on the subject.

3. There is one peculiar difficulty inherent in any proposal to establish in this Colony a Legislature of which the whole or a part is elected on a popular franchise. It has to be decided at the outset whether membership of the Legislative Council is to be restricted to British subjects. The same question also arises in regard to the electorate.

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Former

There are strong objections both to the restriction and to the absence of the restriction. course would confine the prospects of increased participation in public affairs, whether as councillors or as electors, to about 20 per cent of the inhabitants and, as compared with proposals which have been formulated here

/for