HC Deb 19 June 1906 vol 159 cc35-6
MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malta in a letter, dated the 6th ultimo, to the Governor, stated that the conducting of a Protestant mission in the Theatre Royal would constitute a violation of the pledges made by His Majesty's Government, he can state what these alleged promises were.

MR. SILCOCK (Somersetshire, Wells)

May I also ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can inform the House what are the pledges to which the Archbishop of Malta refers in his recently published letters to the Governor as having been made by the British Government to the Roman Catholic Church in Malta; are they such j as to interfere with the liberty of British subjects in the Island who are not members of that Church; and is the holding of religious meetings in the theatre a breach of the promises made by the British Government.

MR. CHURCHILL

The Secretary of State is not aware to what pledges the Archbishop of Malta referred. The only promise made at the time when Malta passed under British control was that the King would protect the churches and religion of the Maltese: and the only restriction to which other religious bodies than Roman Catholics are now subject is that processions and other ceremonies are not allowed to take place in public. It will be seen from the correspondence about to be laid before. Parliament that the Governor refused to admit the Archbishop's contention that the holding of a religious meeting in the Theatre Royal was a departure made from any promises made by His Majesty's Government.

MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)

asked whether the Under-Secretary was aware that the Rev. John McNeill had been prevented from holding services in Malta. Mr. McNeill was a highly respected and distinguished Member of the Presbyterian Church, who had never been known to use language of an insulting or irritating character towards Members of the Roman Catholic communion.

MR. CHURCHILL

That is a very valuable tribute from which I should not desire in any degree to detract.