Mr. POINTERasked whether the Secretary for the Colonies is aware of the dissatisfaction existing in the Island of Malta consequent upon the appointment of the two members of the Legislative Council to the Executive Council, one of whom was appointed contrary to the wishes of the majority of the elected members of the Legislative Council; whether he is aware that owing to the dissatisfaction upon that and other questions there is a danger that the elected members will again resign; whether he can hold out hopes that in the near future constitutional reform will be given; and whether he will shortly lay Papers upon the Table of the House dealing with the political conditions of Malta?
Mr. HARCOURTNo expressions of dissatisfaction with the appointments to which my hon. Friend refers have reached me, nor have I yet heard that the elected members propose to resign. I cannot hold out any expectation of further constitutional changes in Malta in the near future. Papers on the subject of the political condition of Malta were laid in July of last year (Cd. 527), and I do not think that the subsequent correspondence is of sufficient importance to call for publication at present.
Mr. POINTERasked whether the Colonial Secretary has received information from the Government of Malta with regard to the new penal code which has been introduced by that Government, one feature of which is the application for the first time in Malta of the punishment of hard labour for the offence of contravention or misdemeanour, carrying with it the loss of franchise; whether, seeing that the elected members being in a minority on the legislative council and on the executive council, though opposed to it, cannot prevent it becoming law, he will consider the advisability of disallowing it as an Ordinance which has been passed against the will of the Maltese people as expressed by their elected representatives?
Mr. HARCOURTI have not yet received from the Governor of Malta the report on this subject which I requested him to furnish, but I will remind him of my request.