Francesco Buhagiar, Prime Minister of Malta, 1923-1924

Abstract

On 13th. October, 1923 the resignation of Joseph Howard O.B.E. prime minister of Malta under the 1921 constitution which granted responsible government the Malta for the first time, was accepted by governor Plumer. Plumer then appointed Francesco Buhagiar Esq. L.L.D. M.L.A., as prime minister. Francesco Buhagiar (1877-1934) thus became the second leader of the Maltese ministry between 1923-24. He was born at Qrendi and received his doctorate in law from the Royal University of Malta in 1901. His legal career was very successful indeed. He showed ability in dealing with numerous civil and commercial cases. But his work did not end in the court-room. He also entered Maltese polities and was one of the promoters of the Panzavecchian Party of which he became its senior barrister. He was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly in the first and second legislatures. In the first legislature he was nominated Minister of Justice under Prime Minister Howard whom he succeeded on 15th October 1923 and remained head of the ministry till September 1924. Howard had been Prime Minister since 1921 after the victory of the 'Unione' party headed by Mons. Panzavecchia, of which he was a member. The result of the 1921 election was fourteen seats in the legislative Assembly for 'Unione Politica' seven for Constitutionalists seven for the Labour Party and four the Dr. Mizzi National Democratic Party, Mons. Panzavecchia, then asked, that the governent be formed by Joseph Howard whose ideas were not very dissimilar from those of the Constitutionalists. Howard, then asked Colonel Savona president of the Labour Party, and Pier Frendo, a prominent member. to be present at his interview with Plumer. But the labour party did not accept office though it was prepared to aid the government in passing measures conforming to its programme. A recurrent problem in Maltese politics which had been at the forefront of party politics at constitutional level ever since the start of the rule of Britain was the language question. Mizzi wanted pari-passu in teaching English and Italian from the first class in the (2) DGbie E., 'Malta's Read to Independence', p.86. elementary school. The Unione Politica government was saved from defeat by labour who wanted pari-passu from the fourth class but agreed to that system from the second class on. In return they obtained three concessions: introduction of compulsory education as soon as possible, electoral lists brought up to date and the grant of two seats in the cabinet. (3) In the governor's address at the opening of the third session of the first legislature on 12th. November 1923, the governor mentioned two important matters settled in the second session. One was the payment of indemnities to the members of the legislature and the other was the system of teaching English and Italian in the educational institutions of the islands. (4) The mention of the bill on language shows the continuing importance in these years of the problem, which was only solved when Italian was omitted as an official language in 1936. In October 1923 Prime Minister Howard was harshly criticised for his speech at the Malta Association in Rome where he said that 'in the near future the Italian language will be of great help and use to the Maltese'. His resignation triggered by the bill on language followed soon after. [ ...]