CO537-6046 — Page 123

NOTES OF A MEETING HELD IN MR. COOK'S ROOM

ON 19th JULY, 1950.

Present:

Mr. Cook

Sir Charles Jeffries

Mr. Paskin

Mr. Sidebotham

Mr. Hall.

31

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Sir Charles Jeffries said that since the last meeting with the

Secretary of State a further meeting had been held with Sir A. Grantham,

and at that meeting it was decided that a draft despatch to Hong Kong

should be prepared laying a great deal more stress on the build-up of

the Urban Council than the Governor had originally proposed.

!

Mr.Paskin

said that certain parties, particularly the left wing Reform Association,

might suggest that it would be preferable to revert to the Young plan,

but Sir Charles Jeffries said that the answer to this would be that the

Unofficial Members when submitting their 1949 proposals were themselves

not in favour of the Young plan. Mr. Cook suggested that whatever course

was adopted, there was bound to be some agitation, and even if we

reverted to the Young plan there would still be agitation. So long as

the responsible elements were in favour of the proposals too great an

importance should not be attached to any irresponsible agitation.

The draft prepared by Mr. Sidebotham was considered. Mr. Paskin

said that he had discussed it with Mr. Higham as in Singapore the

Unofficials had taken a very strong line that franchise even for the

Municipality should be restricted to British subjects. If the despatch

were published, the non-British Chinese in Singapore might agitate for

while

similar concessions. This could be answered by pointing out that there

was a very much larger number of British subjects in Singapore who were

he wd. prefer their ofta.

to be amended,

not afraid of saying so,

After further discussion, it was decided that paragraph 4 should

be slightly amended by substituting "a broader basis" for "persons other

than British subjects" and "to" instead of "a voice in" and omitting

/altogether