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method less open to criticism. I suggested that for the time being I might nominate Mr. Williams when Mr. Salmon's term expired but without first requesting a nomination. On the expiry of Mr. Williams' term in two years time I would be free to take whatever action I thought appropriate, but they could rely on me to see that the claims of the General Chamber to appropriate representation in Legislative Council were not overlooked. This, again to my surprise, they accepted without demur as being in all our interests, and I propose to act accordingly.
After my discussion with Ex. Co. I also spoke to Mr. Browne, the head of Butterfield and Swire and the sitting JP member, and put the problem to him. He too took the point and said that he personally believed that the present system, which involved occasional contested elections, was likely to lead to the Europeans losing the seat in the course of time. In the election which his own retirement would cause the European who had put himself forward for nomination was distrusted by many Chinese and was likely to be opposed.
In the circumstances we agreed that the best solution would be to prolong his own appointment until his departure for the United Kingdom next April. This could be done without reference to the JPS, and meanwhile we could see how the situation developed. I hope that at the end of this period, through quiet lobbying, it would be possible to reach some sort of understanding with the JPS as with the General Chamber. This therefore is how I propose to act on the JPs. The present formal situation is that there is no vacancy for the time being and will not be until Browne starts packing up preparatory to leaving the Colony in April next year.
While this was going on the European who had proposed himself for nomination, a Mr. Vine, the legal adviser to the Hutcheson Group, came to hear of
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