MISGOVERNMENT OF MALTA. " Las absens ont toujours tort," is
a proverb applicable to nations as well as individuals. In all times, distant colonies and dependen- cies have been misigoverasd. The task of striving to obtain justice
for them is too often thankless ; while the precess of plunder and oppression is easy and profitable. In the East Indies, in North America, the Cape of Good Hope, the Ionian Islands, and in i Malta, a sVatem of misgovernment and insolent disregard of the welfare and prosperity of the colonists, has generally characterized the British sway. Lately, and especially during the viceroyalty of Lord WILLIAM BENTINCK, our East Indian subjects have been ruled with more wisdom and mercy ; and it must he admitted that the West India Islands have had little to complain of But to what have they owed the favour shown them?—To the powerful Parliamentary interest they established in the Mother Country ; and to the fortunate circumstance of having the noble families of CHANDOS, LASCELLES, ROLLE, and others, among their principal proprietors. It is to the want of this description of influence that the Canadians and Maltese, but especially the latter, must refer for art explanation of the ill success which has attended their efforts to procure equitable and cheap government. We have mentioned the Canadians and Maltese together, because it happens, that a principal source of abuse and consequent discontent in both colonies, is the appointment by the Crown of an unpopular, irre- sponsible, domineering Council, the chief members of which are either foreigners, or the creatures of the Governor of the day. In this respect there is certainly a coincidence in the situation of Canada and Malta ; but in almost every other respect, poor Malta is infinitely worse treated than Canada ever was, or, with her spirited population and important position, ever can be. It is too late this session to bring the state of affairs in Malta before Parliament; but Mr. EWA ter, who is pledged to exert himself in behalf of the Maltese, will assuredly not allow another session to pass without at least putting it out of the power of our Representatives to plead ignorance of the manner in which the British authority is misused and the British name degraded in Malta, as an excuse for suffering the present system of misrule to flourish. In the mean while, we would earnestly request their attention to the following enumeration of a few facts—and they are but a few out of the mass—which will give them some idea of the state of the Maltese.
In ancient times, the Maltese had a National Council, which was their shield against oppressive taxation, and the members of
which being elected by the people, secured to them many of the blessings of free government. On the breaking out of the insur- rection against the French in 1798, the inhabitants restored this Council, which had been abolished by the Grand Masters of St. John. Sir ALEXANDER BALL, the commander of the British fleet then blockading Valetta, was named President of this Council or Congress. Sir ALEXANDER promised the Maltese to preserve the Council in all its immunities and powers; but his i first act after obtaining complete possession of the island, in 1800, was to suppress it, and establish an arbitrary system of govern- ment, and a despotic, cruel, and impolitic code of laws, called the Rohan Code, which is in force in the island to this day.
Since that period, Malta has been uniformly plundered and op- pressed. The native Magistrates have been dismissed ; all the posts of honour and profit in the island have been taken from the Maltese, and conferred upon favourites from England ; high duties upon imports have been fixed, and the revenue derived from them charged with pensions to foreigners not resident in the island; the brown barley bread, the food of the poor, has been taxed 100 per cent.; the students at the University are taxed for the support of the Governor ; and so numerous and heavy are the restrictions upon trade, that not a trace of a free port is left to the island. In addition to this, the laws have been continually altered, with wan- ton ignorance; and contradictory proclamations have succeeded one after the other so fast, that the inhabitants are utterly unable to discover what is intended to be law, and what not. Of course there is nothing like liberty of the press.
The salaries and pensions paid by the inhabitants of this little island of 120,000 people, amount to no less annually than 32,4701. What would the people of Leeds say if their local Magistrates were to pocket such a sum per annum ? Some of the items which go to make up this total are indicative of the system of Colonial jobbing which has prevailed so long. Persons styling-themselves Knights of St. John, resident in England, are said to pocket 1,6001. a year; a Reverend F. Laing has 600/. ; Sir WILLIAM BALL 6001.; Colonel RIVAROLA, a Corsican, 8501. These sums cannot be relied on as perfectly accurate, for the Maltese are not favoured with the publication of any accounts of the expenditure of the island; but it is believed that they are at least as large as Stated.
To remedy these grievances, a proclamation was issued in May bat, to constitute a Council of Malta, to be composed of eight members, appointed by the King, five of whom are to hold local offices; but the Maltese are to have no share whatever in the se- lection of any one member, though they are to be despotically ruled by them. Now to this mockery of a government the Maltese will not patiently submit. They consider, and justly, that, being British subjects, they ought to be treated as such. Their deter- mination to obtain a free constitution, proves in a great measure their fitness for it. They are as sensible as any people of the ruinous consequences of despotism. In the next session, a peti- tion, signed by many thousands, will be presented to the British Parliament, in which their wrongs, sufferings, and claims for redress, will be enforced. To this petition the Legislature must give ear; and we recommend Lord GLENELG and Sir GEORGE Guar, in the mean time, to turn their serious attention to Malta; for assuredly they will be called upon to give an account of their own proceedings, and to introduce a new state of things into the island.* • The facts mentioned above are taken from a pamphlet published by EirotanAM WiLsow, entitled "The Claims of the Maltese; founded upon the Principles of Justice: by Grottos MITROVICH, a native of Malta, and a faithful subject of the Crown of Great Britain,now in London.'—This pamphlet is worth perusal by all who talu as bi- terest in the subject. The statements in it areefor the most part confirmed by extract* from the works of British travellers, and by official documents.
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