§ MR. WEIR (Ross and Cromarty)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, having regard to the fact that under a Commission appointed by His Majesty King William IV., dated November 13, 1834, a decree was promulgated authorising the use of the Italian language in all legal proceedings in Malta, will he state why, on March 15 last, he instructed the Governor of Malta to make known by proclamation that it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government that the English language should be substituted for the Italian language in all legal proceedings in Malta after a period of fifteen years; has he received from the elected members of the Council of Government of Malta, and also from the members of the legal profession in Malta, a protest against this decision; and, will he, in view of this protest, adhere to the arrangement entered into in 1834.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.My reasons for directing the Governor of Malta to issue the 490 proclamation are stated in my despatch of April 28th last, printed in the House of Commons Return No. 287 of July last I have received protests from the elected members of the Council of Government and from members of the legal profession in Malta, which I have carefully considered; but for the reasons stated in the despatch referred to, I see no ground for altering the decision arrived at.