XN000022-1976-06-27 — Page 3

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 1976

WHEN THE COUNCIL FIRST MET IN 1844, THERE WERE ONLY FOUR OFFICIAL MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE THEN GOVERNOR, SIR HENRY POTTINGER. DURING THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF ITS FORMATION, THE COUNCIL PASSED AN AVERAGE OF ONE ORDINANCE A WEEK.

IT WAS IN 1850 THAT THE FIRST ENLARGEMENT OF THE COUNCIL TOOK PLACE. TWO UNOFFICIALS WERE APPOINTED, BRINGING THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP TO SIX. THESE TWO MEMBERS WERE ELECTED BY THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE THEMSELVES AT THE INVITATION OF THE GOVERNOR. THEY WERE MR. DAVID JARDINE AND MR. J.F. EDGER.

THE PUBLICATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL AND THE OPENING OF ITS MEETING TO THE PUBLIC IN 1858 MARKED A MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNCIL.

THIS LED TO GREATER PUBLIC INTEREST IN WHAT THE COUNCIL DID AND TO MORE CRITICISM TOO, IN THE SAME YEAR, THE POWERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WERE INCREASED SO THAT MEMBERS WERE PERMITTED TO VOTE THE BUDGET. BEFORE THAT THEY WERE ONLY ABLE TO VOTE ON TAXES, BUT NOT THE BUDGET ITSELF.

THE FIRST CHINESE UNOFFICIAL WAS APPOINTED IN 1880, 36 YEARS AFTER THE COUNCIL CAME INTO BEING. HE WAS MR. NG CHOY (OR SETTER KNOWN AS DR. WỤ TING-FANG), A BARRISTER-AT-LAW. THREE YEARS LATER, THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE WERE INVITED TO NOMINATE ONE MEMBER EACH TO THE COUNCIL. AT THE SAME TIME, CHINESE MEMBERSHIP ALSO BECAME A PERMANENT FEATURE OF THE COUNCIL.

AS THE YEARS PASSED, CHANGES WERE INTRODUCED TO MAKE THE COUNCIL MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY. BY 1955, THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL HAD BEEN FURTHER ENLARGED TO NINE OFFICIALS, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR AND EIGHT UNOFFICIALS (TWO OF THEM CHINESE).

THE FIRST WOMAN TO SERVE II. THE COUNCIL WAS MRS. ELLEN LI SHU-PUI, WHO WAS APPOINTED IN 1266. TO DATE THERE ARE TWO WONEN MEMBERS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THEY ARE MRS. JOYCE SYMONG AND MRS. KWAN KO STU-WAR.

THE INTRODUCTION OF SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION AT COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THE 1972-73 SESSION WAS ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNCIL. THIS ENABLES MEMBERS TO SPEAK IN EITHER ENGLISH OR CHINESE, AND SO HELPS TO OPEN UP THE MEETINGS TO MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN LISTENING TO THE PROCEEDINGS IN THE PUBLIC GALLERY OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OR ON THE RADIO.

FROM ITS SMALL BEGINNING IN 1844, THE COUNCIL IS NOW EXPANDED TO COMPRISE THE GOVERNOR, WHO IS BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND A MEMBER, FOUR EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS -- THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS -- TEN OFFICIAL MEMBERS AND 15 NONIMATED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS, ALL MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

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