The long road from press censorship to press freedom in Malta

In 1746 Grandmaster

Manuel Pinto da Fonseca, the 68th Grand Master of the Order of Saint John agreed with Bishop Paul Alphe ́ ran de Bussan and Inquisitor Passionei to establish a printing press in his palace The first master printers were Don Nicolo Capaci (1756 – 1772) and the Rev Giovanni Mallia (1772 – 1800)

The printing press published "literary works, programmes for operatic works, hymns, prayer books, legal cases, philosophical and theological thesis" subject to the censorship rules of the Hospitallers and the church authorities

During their short occupation of Malta (1798–1800), the French issued the Journal de Malte (Journal of Malta) (below). It was Malta's first newspaper It was in French and Italian Its purpose was to increase French influence on the island.

The British colonial administration also had its newspaper La Gazzetta del Governo di Malta, renamed in 1816 as the Malta Government Gazette The newspaper published government notices, new laws, and domestic and foreign news The Government Chief Secretary, the head of the civilian administration of Malta, was responsible for press censorship

In the 1830s, Giorgio Mitrovich (1795 –1885) and Camillo Sceberras (1772 –1855) petitioned the British government for political reforms and "a moderate freedom of the Press" Mitrovich even went to London to secure the support of British parliamentarians for the Maltese cause.

As a result, in 1836, the British govern- ment appointed three Commissioners to investigate Malta's economic, political and social situation and to make recommendations

The Commissioners, William Ewart, John and Sarah Austin, and Sir George Cornewall Lewis, recommended, among other things, freedom of the press.

In March 1836, Lord Glenelg, Secretary of State for the Colonies, expressed his wish "to administer the affairs in Malta in the free, open, and confiding spirit that consequently the censorship of the press should be abolished, and that without delay".

Press freedom had to overcome many barriers before it became a reality.

Some colonial administrators warned that press freedom would undermine British economic and naval interests in Malta

The conservative Duke of Wellington cautioned, ”The whole island must, from the nature of things, be like a regiment under strict military discipline; otherwise, we shall lose our garrison and harbour ”

The despotic rulers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Papal States and the Austrian-controlled Lombardy and Veneto used press censorship and the police to crush the political aspirations of the Italians for a united Italy Many Italian patriots fled to Malta to continue their clandestine activities (collecting money and arms and printing newspapers and pamphlets) to achieve Italian unity.

Malta’s role in Italian Unification

Press freedom in Malta allowed these Italian refugees to print anti-clerical literature in Malta for distribution in Italy. Britain had to balance its diplomatic relations with these despotic rulers and desire for a united and free Italy

Through then Bishop Francesco Saverio Caruana (1831 –1847) the Catholic Church, feared that unrestricted press freedom would weaken Church authority and encourage the spread of Protestantism.

The Pope supported Bishop Caruana's stand That said however, there were mixed feelings among the clergy to press freedom.

Despite the cordial relations between the British Government and the Church in Malta, the former was not prepared to give in to the Church's insistence to maintain press censorship while ignoring the demands of the population for press freedom.

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