Royal Commission 1836 Source no. 2

Source B 

"Steam communication has decreased the distance between England and Malta so materially that it becomes daily more important that this colony should be English not Italian..."  

British Government to Maltese Governor (1837) 

Write down the date of the source and compare it with the date of Source A.

Write down the origin of this source. 

What has changed?

Important links

Timeline:
http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/915989

1887 Constitution and the Rise of Strickland

The 1887 Constitution 

The Constitution granted Malta a Council of Government consisting of 20 members, 14 of whom were to be elected members. In exceptional situations any decision taken by the elected members could be bypassed.  Unfortunately this Constitution had only a short span of life. Difficulties arose due to the heated "language question", and on the 3rd June 1903 this Constitution was revoked and substituted by another one, similar to that of 1849.

What effect would having a majority of elected members in the Council of Government have in Malta?


Can you mention 1 important drawback for the Maltese in this Constitution. 


What would this mean for the Maltese politicians in important votes? 

Sir Gerald Strickland

What impression does this painting of Sir Gerald Strickland give you? Focus especially on his facial expression and his posture.















"We should be as English as possible in speech and thought as well as in fact". He once also said: "I will do everything I can to make the Maltese as English as possible". 

What reactions do you think will the Anti-Riformisti have had to such declarations?



Sir Gerald Strickland would lead a number of reforms aimed at reducing the importance of Italian especially in the Lyceum and the University. In 1898 Strickland was in charge of two important reforms. One of them was the so called 'libera-scelta' which offered Maltese parents a choice between Italian and English. This together with the abolishing of Italian from the courts in 1899 would lead to a response from the members of the Legal Profession:

" The Maltese are not a race conquered by England, they appealed to England for protection...but they did not give up their freedom...the Maltese extremely regret that they should be forced to change the language of education which they have adopted for many centuries..."

The British would not be moved and Fortunato Mizzi, the leader of the Anti-Riformisti would not give up either. A stalemate would exist until 1903 when the British would suspend the Constitution after more education votes were blocked by the Council.


What were the reasons for the conflict between the Anti-Riformisti and the British Government? 

The Political Parties Source 2

The following is an extract from Maltese Historian Herbert Ganado (7 April 1906 - 8 April 1979) talking about the Partito Anti-Riformista's views. 

Source 2 

"The Maltese, at least those of the educated class, wanted to preserve Italian because it had been fpr hundreds of years the cultural language of their forebears (fathers and grandfathers). They also wanted to enjoy and remember this culture in order to show the British, who looked down their noses at us and who at that time treated us like 'natives', that Malta was part of Europe and had had a European civilisation long before they had come to turn us into a simple colony ruled by London and the Malta militia" 

Is this a Primary or Secondary source? 


Why does Herbert Ganado mention that the British treated the Maltese like 'natives'? 


What are the reasons for which Herbert Ganado says that Italian is important for the Maltese? 


Having already analysed Source 1, do you think the working class cared about maintaining the Italian culture in Malta? Why?



 

The Political Parties Source 1

With the initiation of this clash a division grew up between the Reformists and the Anti-Riformisti with the Reformists in favour of Anglicization whilst the Anti-Riformisti were in favour of Italian. Below you can find some comments passed by Vincenzo Bugeja who was in the Council of Government in 1883. 

Source 1 

"Being a loyal subject of the British Crown, to which as a true Maltese I desire that my country should for ever be subjected, I believe that it is imperative (very important) that my fellow countrymen should learn English, were it only to appreciate the great nation with which we have been most fortunately connected, to learn English ideas, to remain steadfast (strong) in our allegiance"

Which party do you think Vincenzo Bugeja is part of? 


Is this a Primary or Secondary source? 


Why do you think was it favourable for working class people to learn English? 

Royal Commission of 1878 notes

Patrick Keenan, who investigated the Education System in 1878 

He discovered a number of worrying things: 

•  Teachers were badly paid and not properly trained to teach English, since they had received most of their education in Italian.
• Schools were not adequate to host students in them, with some lacking playgrounds, whilst also being very stuffy 
• Textbooks were also not adequate for the level of the students. 
• The level of students was very low and Keenan also commented about how loud students were. 
• Most students would repeat the same year until they left to find work at the age of 11.

He suggested a number of points to improve the situation in Malta 

•  The English language started to be enforced much more in State schools. This meant that Italian was made less important. Thus the process of Anglicization had now become very strong.
• His opinion of the way forward was strongly 'English, and English only'. 
• Maltese students would be introduced to English via Maltese whilst Italian would be removed and become only an optional subject before or after school hours. 

Royal Commission of 1878 Part 1

The following are parts of Keenan's report from 1878:

"...the education of the children frequenting (going to) the Primary Schools must be based upon the principle (idea) of teaching how to read their native Maltese language as correctly as English children of the junior classes are taught how to read English in an English National School."

"...the Maltese Language...under skillful treatment may become an instrument (something to use) in itself of true education and at the same time a ready and natural means (an easy way) of bringing about a general knowledge and use of the English Language"

P.J. Keenan, "Report upon the Educational System of Malta" (London, 1880)

From the source which language do you think Keenan thinks is the most important?


How does he plan to increase that language's importance?


Who would not agree with this?

Royal Commission of 1836 Source No. 1

Source A 

"The Maltese language is a corrupt (changed) dialect of the Arabic, which has never been used for literary (writing) purposes, or even written in a uniform and stable manner. The Italian may be deemed (seen as) the literary, and even the written language of the island. From the end of the 15th Century, the records of the Consiglio Popolare were kept in Italian. The Italian, with the Latin, is the law language of the island; and accordingly; the laws made and promulgated (put into effect) under the Government of the Order are written in the former language. Every Maltese author who has not written in Latin has written in Italian. The accounts of the native merchants....are kept in the same language... in familiar conversation, people of education, as well as the working people , speak their native Arabic... it follows that the Italian language is far more useful to a Maltese than any other language, excepting his native tongue..."

G.Cornwall-Lewis and J. Austin, Reports of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Affairs of Malta (London, 1838)

Questions 

From the source find the 2 main languages used in Malta	Who used the language?

Is this a Primary or Secondary source? 

When was this source written?

Which language did the Commissioners mention was most important? 

Monsignor Ignazio Panzavecchia and the Partito Popolare

Monsignor Ignazio Panzavecchia 

Monsignor Ignazio Panzavecchia was chosen as the representative for the Church in the Government Council in 1891/2. Being a member of the clergy he was against Civil Marriages becoming legal in Malta and this would lead to the setting up of the Partito Popolare in 1895. He was a staunch supporter of the Latin culture in Malta and this was shown in his party which was against any British attempts of Anglicization of the island. Like the Anti-Riformisti he also wanted Malta to have its own Constitutional Rights. 

Monsignor Ignazio Panzavecchia

 

The Reform Party

The Reform Party is set up 

The Reform Party was set up by Sigismondo Savona. Savona was one of those responsible for putting into practice the propositions made by the Royal Commissioners of 1878, one of which was to start teaching students English before Italian. Sigismondo Savona was made Director of Education in 1880 and together with Chief Secretary Gerald Strickland would be in charge of all the attempted major reforms being made to the Education System. 

The Reform Party was more focused on the working class and this can be seen in their many propositions which were aimed at improving their standard of living. Some of these propositions included the removal of the bread tax, more work on the underground drainage system and so on. Naturally most of the support for this party came from the working class including dockyard workers and government workers. 

Sigismondo Savona