§ MR. BOLANDTo ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can state whether any, and if so what, 433 change has been effected in the Maltese Constitution with reference to the election of members of the Council, subsequent to the date of the last document printed in the recently published Paper on political affairs in Malta; and can he give the text of such alteration.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton.) Clause 32 of the Letters Patent dated j 3rd June, 1903, has been repealed by Letters Patent dated 15th April, 1904, and the following clause has been substituted in lieu thereof, viz:—"If any elected member of the Council shall, by writing under his hand addressed to the Governor, resign his seat in the Council, or shall be absent, except on the ground of illness, from the sittings of the Council s for a period of two calendar months during the session of the Council without the leave of the Council, or shall for the period of one month be a party to any contract with the Government of Malta, for or on account of the public service, or shall become subject to any of the disqualifications specified in these Letters Patent, or shall take any oath or make any declaration of allegiance to any Foreign State or Power, his seat in the Council shall thereupon become vacant, Whenever the seat of an elected member has become vacant, the Governor shall, as soon as possible, issue a writ for the election of a new member in the place of; the member whose seat has become vacant. Provided that, if an elected member shall, without the permission of the Council, within a year from the date of his election resign his seat in the Council either before or after taking the oath prescribed by Clause 33 of these Our Letters Patent, or shall, except on the ground of illness, be absent from the sittings of the Council for a period of two calendar months during the session of the Council without the like permission, it shall not be necessary for the Governor to issue a writ until after the expiration; of twelve calendar months reckoned from the day on which the resignation in writing of such member shall be received by the Governor or from the day on which the said member shall have completed two calender months absence from the sittings of the Council as the case may be."