CO_1030_1459_HONG_KONG_CONSTITUTIONAL_DEVELOPMENT_1963_1965 — Page 60

File No.....

Mr..

7.S.Carter 22/"

2

Mr. Calian Rufins пс

Mr..

24/14

Permt. U.S. of S.

Parly. U.S. of S.

Mr.

Sir.....

Minister of State Secretary of State

Your Reference.....

Date.

DRAFT

s/o letter

88

Page 60

th

24 November, 1965.

Sir David Trench, K. C.M.G., M.C.,

Government House,

I am very sorry indeed that you have not had an earlier reply to your letter of the 26th May about the

VICTORIA,

Hong Kong.

future of the Urban Council and

focal fovernment

for statement,

1/2

We ague with the reasons for ging comedention to the purkey set out Joges 4 and 5 1 you letter,

FURTHER ACTION

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(7445) 86B 25M 4/65 S.P.&D. Gp652

generally. As Carter explained to you in the short

discussion you had with him on these matters during your

here in October

visit, these last few months have been difficult for

those of us handling Hong Kong affairs.

But it is

nevertheless regrettable that we did not send you

earlier such comments as we were in a position to let

you have, particularly the views of the Foreign Office.

N.P.3.

2.

find your proposals most interesting, /I

think you will be glad to know straightaway that we адли

o not consider they can be regarded as amounting to

"major constitutional change". You ok whether local

covernment is in fast part of a country's constitutional

structure It is perhaps arguable that local government,

being part of the machinery by which a country is ✔

Eoverned, is part and parcel of its constitution

ADACHELL The argument for this proposition is

strongest in cases where local government institutions

are specifically linked with territory-wide

mtitutions (e.g. local government bodies form

electoral colleges or are in some other way the basis

for representative institutions on a territorial basis).

An assertion to the centrery would no doubt be hotly

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In the they count reasonably

contested-in “ozdemio eireles, But for all practical

/purposesPage 61 of 344