§ 38. Mr. THURTLEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is now 800 in a position to state when the White Paper dealing with the electoral crisis in Malta will be published?
Mr. A. HENDERSONIt is hoped to issue the White Paper this week, and I, will let my hon. Friend know definitely as soon as I can.
§ Mr. MACPHERSON(by Private Notice) asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has any further news to communicate to the House with regard to the situation in Malta, and, particularly, with regard to the dastardly attempt on the life of Lord Strickland.
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Mr. Lunn)I have been asked to reply to this question. The latest telegram from the Governor, which is dated yesterday, reports that much excitement prevailed in Valetta on Friday after the attempt on Lord Strickland's life. Large crowds assembled to acclaim Lord Strickland, who showed remarkable indifference to the incident. The situation was well handled by the police, and no active disorder appears to have occurred. On Saturday evening a great number of people assembled in Valetta, but the day passed without event.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODMay I ask what steps the Colonial Office are taking to restrain clerical interference in Maltese politics?
§ Mr. LUNNI do not think I could say more than was stated by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs when he said on 12th May that a White Paper was to be laid giving all the correspondence.
§ Mr. MACPHERSONIs it not a fact that the White Paper will deal only with the correspondence between the Foreign Office and the Vatican? Will there be a White Paper published by the Colonial Office informing this House of the situation as it is in Malta now?
§ Mr. MAXTONOn a point of Order. When Lord Strickland was a Member of this House, and used periodically to endeavour to raise matters affecting Malta, he was constantly ruled out of order by your predecessor on the ground that this House is not permitted to interfere with the internal affairs of a self-governing colony.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe are not permitted to interfere in the internal affairs of self-governing colonies.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYThe right hon. and learned Member for Ross and Cromarty (Mr. Macpherson) raised a question with regard to a dastardly attempt at assassination. Is it in order to drag in an entirely different matter altogether, which might be taken outside this House as associating in some way a friendly Power with that assassination? Is it in order for hon. Members to enlarge a question to that extent?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do my best to keep supplementary questions within limits, but sometimes I find that to be rather difficult.
§ Mr. MAXTONOn a point of personal explanation. I hope no other Member of the House took my question to have the same meaning as did the hon. and gallant Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy), but it is well within the memory of this House that Lord Strickland, when he was here, persistently endeavoured to raise Maltese questions, with my support, and he was as persistently ruled out of order by your predecessor.
§ Mr. E. BROWNIs it not a fact that Lord Strickland raised questions affecting the Maltese Parliament, and not affecting Malta generally?
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIn view of this attempted assassination of Lord Strickland, will not the Colonial Office do something, instead of being content with the publication of a White Paper dealing with the situation as it was before the attempted assassination took place?
§ Mr. LUNNThe diplomatic aspects of the question are in the hands of the Foreign Office. I take it my right hon. and learned Friend is asking a question about the Colonial Office. I am not in a position to give an answer to his question this afternoon, but I will call the attention of my right hon. Friend to the question which he has put.
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUELOf what use is a White Paper and does not the hon. Member realise that this White Paper, whether he issues it or not, will not protect a man from being murdered?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYOn a point of personal explanation. My point of Order did not refer to the point of Order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgeton (Mr. Maxton) but to the supplementary questions enlarging the original question of the right hon. and learned Member for Ross and Cromarty (Mr. Macpherson).