CO537-6046 — Page 40

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agreement with the view that in the changed circumstances

of Hong Kong the Unofficial Members' conclusion is not

unreasonable.

A.

I have noted with much satisfaction that your

proposals include recommendations for an Unofficial

Majority in the Legislative Council, and I share your

view that membership of the Council must be confined to

British subjects. The proposal that the electorate

must equally be limited to persons who are prepared to

establish their claim to be British subjects would,

however, have the effect, in practice, of limiting the

proposed franchise to a very small proportion of the

present population of Hong Kong, but this is inevitable.

if direct elections on the lines which your propose are

to be held. I should therefore be glad if further

consideration could be given to the possibility of devising

other means, whereby the process for the selection of

unofficial members of Legislative Council would be placed

on broader basis, in which non-British, as well as British,

interests could participate. If it were found necessary,

in order to achieve this object, I would not exclude

from this review the adoption of some process of indirect

election. Indeed such an arrangement, if it proved

practicable, might avoid the considerable delay which

would certainly be necessitated if an electoral law for

Hong Kong for the Legislative Council had to be drafted

and enacted, electoral districts delimited, and the whole

machinery for holding elections set up. In this connection,

I am aware from my discussions with you that it would be

difficult under present circumstances to make the staff

with sufficient experience available for this work.

I note that your proposals do not contemplate

any further development of the Urban Council at this

5.

stage until certain difficulties which are dealt with in

paragraphs 28 to 30 of your despatch under reply have been

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