it
11.
The last speaker (Mr. McGuigan) ha?” said that no politician in England would dare to go before a British audience and move that any Chamber of Commerce should return a member to the House of Commons. That was perfectly true, but, at the same time, there was a University vote which had not been withdrawn, even under the wide scheme of electoral reform which had just been carried in Great Britain. The Chamber of Commerce and the Justices of the Peace were composed of a substantial and enlightened section of the community, and their representa ¡tion might, therefore, be regarded as Janalogous to the University vote in Great Britain. Their representation had been granted a long time ago, and it was not the custom of the British people to do away with institutions of long standing unless they were found to be mischievous. It must be admitted that the commeroS of thie Colony was so important that it. was entitled to direct representation in Legislative Council. (Applause).
to
r. J. M. ALVES, in seconding the amendment, said he was a member of the Chamber of Commerce, which contained less than 200 members, and he had thought it fanny, on reading the resolution in the papers, that such a small body should wish
with
heads. provide itself
two (Laughter). That was not natural but phenomenal. There was another reason why one member for the Chamber of Com- merce was more than enough. (Loud laughter). The members of the Chamber and of the Justices of the Peace were all eligible for election, but the chances were invariably with the Peakites. thought that the Peakites should be satis- fied with two seats on the Legislative Council, and allow the transference of the remaining member to Kowloon,
He
Mr. Leo d'Almada said he wished, in the first place, to extend to the Com- puittee of tho Constitutional Reform Association the thanks of his community for their suggestion that the proposal for the reform of the Council should include the election of a member of the Portuguese community. Continuing, Mr. d'Almada said that as this was a public meeting to which aliens were admitted, and, in view of the fact that the members of the Chamber of Commerce, among whom were included alien sub- Jects, were given the right to elect representative, and inasmuch 85 the Chinese community would have the right to vote for their own member, he failed to see why the Portuguese member suggested should not be elected by the Portuguese community. The Portuguese were the first foreigners to settle on this island, and although some of them were not technically British subjects, they were entitled, nevertheless, to spe that their interests were properly safeguarded. By this be did not suggest that their interests had not been safeguarded in the past, because the British Government always looked to the interests of all under their control without " fear, favour or affec- tion. "If we are going to have a fran- chise at all," he concluded, "let us have. by all means, government of the people, for the people, and by the people.
Applause).
12.
This amendment was seconded by Mr. C. A, da Roza.
MR. ALABASTER'S REPLY.
Mr. ALABASTER said: Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, the tumultuous applause which has greeted Mr. McGuigan's amendment shows that we all sympathise with the ideals at which he aims, but some of us also realise that ideals are not always obtainable at one jump. On behalf of the Committee of this Associa tion I am authorised to say that we accept and endorse the amendment pro posed by Mr. Cartwright. I propose to give some reasons for supporting that amendment. This meeting. ȧs Mr. d'Almada stated, is a public meeting, but it is a meeting held under the auspices of the Constitutional Reform Association. No member of this Association, and, above all, no member of the Committee, can therefore be expected to be able to support or to countenance any resolution which will have the slightest tendency to subvert the peace and good order of society, or to cause the slightest tremor in or deflection of the unswerving and undying loyalty which we as British sub- jects owe to, and feel towards, the Em- pire and the Crown. (Applause.) For that reason we are unable, as the Con stitutional Reform Association, to sup>| port any resolution which has a tendency to place the governing power of this Colony in the hands of a people, what- ever their race may be, but who owe allegiance to another flag. (Applause.) We come here, however, for some reform, The great characteristic of all British constitutions is that they are not immut- able. Throughout the Empire those constitutions are ever changing for the better, but they are changing gradually, and for that reason we are unable to support Mr. McGuigan's ideals at the present moment. The Mother Country herself has not waited for the conclusion of the world's most devastating war to overhaul and revise her own electoral system, and to give the vote to millions of men and women who never had it be fore. There is, therefore, no valid reason why we in this distant but important outpost of Empire should not ask in the light of all the lessons the war has taught 125 to have our constitution overhauled and revised. (Applause.) Seventy-eight years ago Hongkong was
treeless, trackless, tradeless, inhabited, disintegrating granite rock. To-day, with her railways, motor-ways, tram-ways, factories, works, wharves, and docks, she is one of the wrld's great. ports, and one of the great distributing centres of the world's trade. (Applause). She has population of about a million, and I believe that she has a great future before her of commercial and political development under the British flag." (Applause). But, I am sure, from the applause beard to-night on all the amend ments and resolutions, that we all feel the constitution of our Legislative Coun-- oil-by which I mean the system which. governs the selection of its members-has not kept pace with that great commercial: and popular progress. (Applause) It is rusty system and has survived the eral of its usefulness. Rusty and worn-ouk
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