The first day of November is a date that should be remembered and cherished by every Maltese because it recalls the opening of Malta’s first parliament in 1921. Previously, Maltese participation in the islands’ administration had been limited to participating in a succession of Councils of Government, but the 1921 Constitution gave Malta its first autonomous government under British rule.
In 1919, Dr Filippo Sceberras had rallied the Maltese, and representatives of every constituted body formed part of a Maltese National Assembly which had its first meeting on February 25. It was decided to request King George V to grant a form of government which would at least ensure to the people full political and administrative autonomy in matters of local interest.
Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), who inaugurated Malta’s first parliament on November 1, 1921.On May 20, Sceberras was informed that instructions had been imparted to the new Governor of Malta, Field-Marshal Lord Herbert Plumer, to find out, on his arrival, how far it would be possible to grant to the Maltese people a larger share in the government without prejudicing Imperial interests. The Assembly, therefore, formed a representative commission to draft a Constitution and to get in touch with the new Governor when he arrived. These proceedings were, however, cut short by the Sette Giugno (June 7) riots when the Assembly was in session. When ‘normal’ conditions returned, the Assembly continued its deliberations and proposed a Constitution providing for a Senate of 12 elected members, a lower house of 22 elected people, and a Cabinet of seven ministers.
In late August 1919, Colonial Secretary Lord Alfred Milner sent his Under-Secretary of State, Lieutenant Colonel Leo Amery, on a fact-finding and solution-finding mission to Malta, arriving on HMS Lancashire. During his stay, Amery met and discussed local affairs – both political and economic – with several people, including talks with Governor Plumer and Filippo Sceberras. In agreement with Plumer, he concluded that there was the need for a fresh start in local politics.
On November 20, 1919, the British government announced the decision to grant a new Constitution to Malta. Then, on June 12, 1920, draft Letters Patent were communicated to the Maltese. The final Letters Patent were promulgated on April 30, 1921, and came into force on the following May 6.
The new Constitution – appropriately known as the Amery-Milner Constitution – was a diarchy. It provided for a bicameral system for local affairs and a Nominated Council to look after Imperial matters – also called ‘reserved matters’ – which included postal censorship, currency, telegraph, nationality, public security and defence. The Maltese ‘part’ consisted of a Senate, a Legislative Assembly and a ministry.
The Senate had 17 members, 10 of whom represented special classes, and the others, known as ‘general members’, were returned by the general electorate. Voting for the Senate was through two districts covering Malta and Gozo, returning four and three members each. The 10 special members represented the clergy, the nobility, the University, the Chamber of Commerce and the Trade Union Council, each being represented by two members. All members and voters for the Senate had to be male British subjects aged 35 or over. The Legislative Assembly consisted of 32 members elected by the electorate according to the principle of proportional representation, each voter having one transferable vote. Malta was divided into seven electoral districts, with Gozo being the eighth one. Each district was to return four elected members.
The inauguration of Malta’s first parliament by the Prince of Wales in the Hall of St Michael and St George, the Governor’s Palace, Valletta, on November 1, 1921.In agreement with Plumer, Amery concluded that there was the need for a fresh start in local politics
The Legislature could pass laws relating to Malta but could not interfere in Imperial matters. Such reserved matters were dealt with by the Governor, advised by a Nominated Council. All members and voters had to be male British subjects aged 21 or over who also had to have the following educational and property qualifications: the ability to read and write; received in their own right (or that of their wives) an income of £5 from immoveable property or capital annually, or paid £5 in rent annually.
Plural voting was allowed: if a voter had the right amount of income-deriving property in more than one district, he had the right to vote just as many times.
The Legislative Assembly was to choose, from among its members, a speaker and a deputy speaker. The Senate members elected a president and a vice-president. All questions in both Houses were to be determined by the majority of votes of the members present, except the speaker and the president. If there was an equality of votes, the speaker and the president had casting votes.
Senator Joseph Howard, Malta’s first prime minister (1921-3).The ministry was to consist of up to seven ministers, each of whom was to be a member of one of the Houses of the Legislature. They had the right to sit and speak in both Houses but could only vote in the House of which they were members. Elections to the Assembly were to be held every three years, while voting for the Senate’s elected members were to be held every six years. This Constitution was suspended from 1930 to 1932, and later withdrawn after a short-lived legislature from 1932 to 1933.
The 1921 election was fought out between four parties: the Unione Politica Maltese, led by Mgr Ignazio Panzavecchia; the Constitutional Party, led by Count Gerald Strickland; the Labour Party under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel William Savona; and Dr Enrico Mizzi’s Partito Democratico Nazionalista (PDN).
These parties won 14, seven, seven and four seats respectively for the Assembly.
Mizzi’s PDN contested the Gozo seats only and won them all. The Unione Politica Maltese had a clear-cut majority in the Senate where the party had four elected members, together with a further six from the special members.
But Mgr Panzavecchia declined to head the government and, instead, he proposed Senator Joseph Howard, who thus has the honour of becoming Malta’s first prime minister. Howard also headed the Ministry of Finance, while the other ministers in 1921 were: Dr Alfredo Caruana Gatto (Justice); Mgr Francesco Ferris (Education); Prof. Carmelo Mifsud (Public health); Dr Ugo P. Mifsud (Industry, Commerce, Post, Agriculture and Fisheries); and Antonio Dalli (Public works). Within a year, changes were made in the ministries. The first chosen speaker of the Legislative Assembly was Edgar Arrigo.
Parliament was to be inaugurated on Tuesday, November 1, 1921, by Edward, Prince of Wales, the heir to the British throne. The Prince of Wales arrived on November 1 on board the battle-cruiser HMS Renown and, after being greeted by Governor Plumer and Archbishop Dom Mauro Caruana, who both went aboard the warship. He went ashore and was accorded a tumultuous welcome throughout the route to the Governor’s Palace in Valletta which housed the inauguration ceremony and, indeed, parliament itself.
A commemorative photograph of the members of Malta’s first parliament taken at the Governor’s Palace, Valletta.After the prince took his place in the Hall of St Michael and St George, where the ceremony was to take place, Governor Plumer read the Royal Commission authorising Prince Edward to open the Maltese parliament in the king’s name.
Edward Arrigo, the first Speaker of Malta’s first parliament (1921-23).The prince then spoke of his family’s affection for Malta and about the Constitution being a valuable instrument of government which would undoubtedly lead the Maltese islands to a prosperous future.
He then declared parliament open amid fanfares in the hall together with artillery and regimental salutes outside.
The occasion ended with another ceremony: fittingly, Dr Filippo Sceberras, who had worked so hard for the attainment of Maltese autonomy, was formally knighted by Prince Edward amid the clapping and cheers of all present.
In this way, therefore, an important chapter in Malta’s political and constitutional history saw its beginning.
Results of 1921 elections
Population: 212,258
The Senate
Voting days: October 5 and 6
Registered voters: 3,405
Votes cast: 2,800
Invalid votes: 20
% of voters who cast their votes: 82.2
Votes polled and number of seats gained:
Unione Politica Maltese: 1,611 – 4 seats
Labour Party: 598 – 2 seats
Constitutional Party: 553 – 1 seat
Independent: 18 – no seat
The Legislative Assembly
Voting days: October 18 and 19
Registered voters: 27,104
Votes cast: 20,634
Invalid votes: 159
% of voters who cast their votes: 76.13
Votes polled and number of seats gained:
Unione Politica Maltese: 7,999 – 14 seats
Constitutional Party: 5,183 – 7 seats
Labour Party: 4,742 – 7 seats
Partito Democratico Nazionalista: 2,465 – 4 seats
Independent: 82 – no seat
Joseph F. Grima, retired casual history lecturer and Asst Director of Education