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appears to be moribund. It is well known that it owed its origin to personal pique against my predecessor on the part of certain persons who now, I understand, make no secret of the fact that it has no longer any interest for them, and after receiving a deputation from its Committee some months ago I was privately informed by more than one of those present that if Sir Henry May had talked to them with the same franknese as I had shown the Association would have died at birth. I fear, therefore, that it is hopeless to look to popular opinion to afford any guidance towards an improvement of the existing constitution. I think, indeed, that I am justified in saying that there is practically no person of any standing in the Colony who really desires any change at all.
4.
The deputation, to which I have just referred, affords a convenient peg on which to hang my own suggestions. The matters which the members desired to discuss are set out in the following resolutions:-
(i). That as regards all the Unofficial Members of the said Council (other than the two Chinese nominated members) the principle of election instead of nomination shall be applied.
(ii). That the number of Unofficial Members shall be increased from six to nine, and the number of Official Members shall remain as at present, namely, eight.
(iii). That of the seven elected Unofficial Members (all of whom shall be British subjects) one shall be elected by the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce; one by the Justices of the Peace; four (three of whom shall be of British race and one of Portuguese race) by British subjects who are jurymen, or are qualified for, but exempt from jury service; and one by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, or some other body representative of the Chinese Community.
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