TNAG-0327-FCO40-363-History-of-constitution-of-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 66

CONFIDENTIAL

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Of course another way in which the situation has changed from the period when this convention had some validity, is the emergence of a host of other bodies and associations, including the Urban Council, with just as or nearly as strong a claim to the privilege of nomination as the J.P.s and the Chamber.

9.

All senior official and unofficial advice is to go ahead and get rid of these anachronisms before they lead to one sort of a row or another, and to do so early in my tour as Governor. I think this is right. Meanwhile I propose to cross no bridges until I have your assurance that you approve, and that if necessary I can say that the Secretary of State has agreed that I need not be bound by this convention any longer. I would hope, however, to manage things so that the convention quietly dropped out of sight, while continuing to nominate persons of such high standing from the JPs and the Chamber that they could claim their interests were being set aside.At some point the seal could be set on this process by a short statement to the effect that while the Governor attached importance to members of the Chamber and the J.P.s continuing to play a part in Leg. Co., he did not propose to continue the convention of calling for nominations.

10.

He

Mr. Vine was so foolish as to get in touch with the Editor of the South China Morning Post about three weeks ago. I heard about this and gave the Editor a comfidential explanation of the position. immediately asked me why I did not come out into the open with these proposals which would have the unanimous backing of the press. I explained that in the circum- stances of Hong Kong dramatic news of this sort might leave the whole edifice slightly shaken and therefore weaker and I wanted to avoid it; but I hoped that an awareness of the weakness of their public position would deter members of either body from making a fuss.

It would help to have your views on this before I go on leave at the beginning of August.

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