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2600027 C.S. 20A
From the Governor, Hong Kong
DESPATCH
SAVINGRA
Commonwealth Affairs
the Secretary of State for txxoborries
Repeated to:—
Repeated to:——
Date........
My Reference......
-2-
CONFIDENTIAL
Your Reference...
No.
408
No.
No.
P.44 (cont) On the same day another editorial in a smaller right-wing paper described the bill as meeting the needs of local residents. There were no editorials in the independent or right-wing press attacking the bill. The English language press gave the bill very brief coverage; the English language editorials enclosed with the petition were not published until after the Reform Club had made its press release. The non-communist Chinese language press again gave good publicity to the bill after the second and third readings in Legislative Council and, as a rejoinder to the publicity created by the Reform Club following the publication of their press statement, the largest circulating Chinese language evening newspaper, the independent Sing Tao Man Pao, published an editorial supporting the Ordinance and stating that it would not affect the normal life of the general public Careful subsequent sampling of Chinese public opinion through Liaison Staff of the Secretariat for Chinese Arrairs confirms that public opinion as a whole firmly supports the measure criticizing it only for being insufficiently severe.
P.5.
Paragraph 5. It is surprising that the Reform Club, which so often concerns itself with constitutional matters, does not know the procedure followed in the Legislative Council for the passing of bills. A bill cannot be enacted unless it has passed through the Committee Stage, which must necessarily involve the consideration of the bill clause by clause (see standing Order 27 of the Standing Orders of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong). Whether or not a bill takes many hours at this stage depends mainly upon how much controversy it gives rise to among members. In this case,
In this case, the Bill received their full support.
P.6.
Paragraph 6. The bill could only be said to be "stampeded" through if the same criticism is validly made about most bills, since it is normal practice to allow two weeks to elapse between First Reading and Second Reading, with the Third Reading following on the same day as the Second Reading. The newspaper editorials and articles referred to show that some criticism of the bill was voiced. It would be surprising if there were not. The Reform Club has not mentioned the fact that this opposition came solely from a section of the English language press and from those communist-owned Chinese language newspapers which have consistently supported and encouraged disorder and violence in public places. As stated above, the mass of public opinion favours the bill.
P.7.
Paragraph 7. The Attorney General comments that where a law creates an offence, every citizen (whether peace-loving or not) is a potential criminal in the sense that he would become so if he offends against it. The reference to "the foundation and principles of British justice" introduces the sort of emotive phrase which is often used by the Reform Club as a substitute for reasoned argument.
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