CO129-340 - Governor Nathan Acting Governor May - 1907 [4-6] — Page 468

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

464

proportion of which moreover consists of government officials, will be swamped by the military and naval element.

It may be said that the naval and military forces should be debarred from voting on the ground that they are not resident in the Colony, but the same objection would apply also, though possibly in a lesser degree, to the Civil population. Indeed over and above any other arguments which can be urged against representative government in Hongkong, it appears to me that the transient character of the population is by itself a serious obstacle.

The second claim is the complement or rather the extension of the first. The Petitioners ask not only that there shall be elected representatives in the Council, but that there shall be a majority of such representatives, in other words that, at any rate as regards legislation, the power shall be vested in a very small section of the population and that more than nine-tenths of it shall be controlled by representatives of the small remainder.

12. The third demand is that the official members shall be allowed to speak and vote as they please. It is a demand which is familiar in the case of Crown Colonies, but only one answer can be given to it, viz. that the paid servants of the Government cannot be left free to oppose the government.

I should be surprised to learn that the officials themselves wished to be given this freedom.

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464 proportion of which moreover consists of government officials, will be swamped by the military and naval element. It may be said that the naval and military forces should be debarred from voting on the ground that they are not resident in the Colony, but the same objection would apply also, though possibly in a lesser degree, to the Civil population. Indeed over and above any other arguments which can be urged against representative government in Hongkong, it appears to me that the transient character of the population is by itself a serious obstacle. The second claim is the complement or rather the extension of the first. The Petitioners ask not only that there shall be elected representatives in the Council, but that there shall be a majority of such representatives, in other words that, at any rate as regards legislation, the power shall be vested in a very small section of the population and that more than nine-tenths of it shall be controlled by representatives of the small remainder. 12. The third demand is that the official members shall be allowed to speak and vote as they please. It is a demand which is familiar in the case of Crown Colonies, but only one answer can be given to it, viz. that the paid servants of the Government cannot be left free to oppose the government. I should be surprised to learn that the officials themselves wished to be given this freedom. It

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464 proportion of which moreover consists of government officials, will be swamped by the military and naval element. It may be said that the naval and military forces should be debarred from voting on the ground that they are not resident in the Colony, but the same objection would apply also, though possibly in a lesser degree, to the Civil population. Indeed over and above any other arguments which can be urged against representative government in Hongkong, it appears to me that the transient character of the population is by itself a serious obstacle, The second claim is the complement or rather the extension of the first. The Petitioners ask not only that there shall be elected representa-- tives in the Council, but that there shall be a majority of such representatives, in other words that, at any rate as regards legislation, the power shall be vested in a very small section of the popu- lation and that more thannine tenths of it shall be controlled by representatives of the small re- 11. mainder. 12. The third demand is that the official members shall be allowed to speak and vote as they please. It is a demand which is familiar in the case of Crown Colonies, but only one answer can be given to it viz. that the paid servants of the Government cannot be left free to oppose the govern- ment. I should be surprised to learn that the officials themselves wished to be given this freedom. It

2026-06-04 13:48:06 · Baseline

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464

proportion of which moreover consists of government officials, will be swamped by the military and

naval element.

It may be said that the naval and military forces should be debarred from voting on the ground

that they are not resident in the Colony, but the

same objection would apply also, though possibly

in a lesser degree, to the Civil population. Indeed

over and above any other arguments which can be

urged against representative government in Hongkong,

it appears to me that the transient character of

the population is by itself a serious obstacle,

The second claim is the complement or

rather the extension of the first. The Petitioners

ask not only that there shall be elected representa--

tives in the Council, but that there shall be a

majority of such representatives, in other words

that, at any rate as regards legislation, the power

shall be vested in a very small section of the popu-

lation and that more thannine tenths of it shall

be controlled by representatives of the small re-

11.

mainder.

12. The third demand is that the official

members shall be allowed to speak and vote as they

please. It is a demand which is familiar in the

case of Crown Colonies, but only one answer can be

given to it viz. that the paid servants of the

Government cannot be left free to oppose the govern-

ment.

I should be surprised to learn that the

officials themselves wished to be given this freedom.

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