CO537-6046 — Page 67

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with a new to its pubhreaten there to the Governor of Hong Kong indicating that

as the 1949 proposals have the effect, in

practice, of limiting the proposed franchise to a very small proportion of the present

population of Hong Kong, the Secretary of

State for the Colonies would 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 the

Legislative Council would be placed on a broader basis, in which non-British, as well as British,

interests could participate, i.e. by some process

of indirect election.

There will still be .a number of nominated

members who will probably be nominated from the Chinese, Portuguese and Indian communities but no final decision on this point has yet been taken.