§ SIR R. H. INGLISwished to put a question to the hon. Gentleman the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of certain proceedings at Malta in reference to the Roman Catholic Church in that island. On the 10th of March, an ordinance was passed by which the Church of Rome was declared the dominant religion in Malta. On the 14th a proposition was made in reference to other religions, tolerating or protecting them. A Member of the Government of that island objected, and contended that the Church of Her Majesty, which Her Majesty had sworn to protect in all its rights and privileges, could not fairly be designated as a church tolerated in any part of Her Majesty's dominions, and maintained that it ought to be regarded as established. Her Majesty's Government were defeated, and the ordinance in its offensive form was passed. A protest was made by the Lord Bishop of 299 Gibraltar. From the part taken by Her Majesty's Government on the spot, there was very little room for doubt as to the answer which would be given to the question he had now to put, whether such ordinance had or had not arrived, whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to give their sanction to it, or, if not, what answer they proposed to return?
§ MR. HAWESreplied that his hon. Friend had scarcely stated what had been done by the Council of Malta quite correctly. The facts were these: In the council a proposition had been made for the amendment of the municipal code. In that part relating to religion there had been introduced, by a majority, a certain amendment which imposed a higher penalty on the interruption of the Roman Catholic worship. No ordinance had been passed; none, at least, had reached the noble Lord the Secretary of State. The Bishop of Gibraltar, within whose diocese Malta lay, had protested, and his protest had been received; but in consequence of these proceedings the noble Lord the Secretary of State had thought it right, if the amendment should be introduced into an ordinance couched in the terms stated, and imposing discriminating penalties on those who interrupted the worship of Roman Catholics, as compared with those who interrupted the worship of any other body of Christains, to declare that such ordinance should not be sanctioned.
§ SIR. R. H. INGLISinquired whether the term "Established Church" would be used as designating the Church of Her Majesty?
§ Subject dropped.