MALTESE CRISIS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 June 1930, Page 7

MALTESE CRISIS

DISCUSSION IN LORDS. [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] LONDON, June 25. In the House of Lords, Lord Cushendun asked the Government whether they were still endeavouring to renew negotiations for co-ordination between the ecclesiastical and authorities in Malta, or whether -.he former had yet given orders which would restore to the electorate of the colonv complete freedom to exercise their political judgment, and how long it was expected that it might be necessary to suspend the holding of the elections in the colony. Viscount Fitz Alan appealed to Lord Strickland, Prime Minister of Malta, who was present in the Hopse, tp make some gesture that might ayeviate the present situation and which would place him in the position that ho ought to hold on the island of Malta. He believed that much good could come from such a gesture, and that peace and spiritual welfare would be restored to that great and historic island fortress. ■ Lord Strickland thanked the Government for the decision it had arrived at. He said that the Government’s declaration did not mean the suspension of the constitution; it only meant the suspension of the elections, but having got to that stage the problem was how to get out and the way to do that 1 was by further ordnances. Therefore, he accepted • loyally and freely any apparent, or real diminution of his previous authority. Defending his conduct of affairs in Malta, Lord Strickland said: “I may have been tactless sometimes, but not always. I have been a Governor urider the Crown four times, and I should not have been Governor twice if I was.”

Lord Passfield, Colonial Secretary, said that the Government had never taken sides in this matter. It w r as w’ith the greatest regret that the Government w’erd driven to take the step they had taken and even temporarily to suspend the constitution. _ They W’ere suspending the constitution in order to save it. The constitution was not being maintained if freedom of election was taken away. When they could get back to. freedom of election the constitution would be restored. During the suspension the Government #would be carried on by'the Governor by means of Orders-ln-Coun-cil. The Government w’ere not going' to give way to the demands of the Vatican that Lord Strickland and his colleagues should be removed.