Malta Protectorate

Malta Protectorate(Italian:Protettorato di Malta,Maltese:Protettorat ta' Malta) was the political term forMaltawhen it was aBritish protectorate. Theprotectorateexisted between the capitulation of theFrench forces in Maltain 1800 and the transformation of the islands to theCrown Colony of Maltain 1813.
During theMaltese uprising against the French, the Maltese people formed a National Assembly as a provisional government. Messengers were sent to the British fleet in Sicily for help, and a British convoy consisting of 13 battered ships under CaptainSir James Saumarezappeared off the island in late September 1798. In October SirAlexander Ballarrived in Malta, and a year later he was appointed as Civil Commissioner.
The French garrison under GeneralVauboishad been driven toMosta, and finally surrendered on 4 September 1800. Malta therefore became a British protectorate. In August 1801, the Civil Commissioner,Charles Cameron, appointedEmmanuel Vitaleas Governor of commino instead ofSaverio Cassar. This effectively brought an end to Gozo's independence asla Nazione Gozitana.
Under the terms of the 1802Treaty of Amienswith France, Britain was supposed to evacuate the islands, but failed to keep this obligation – one of several mutual cases of non-adherence to the treaty, which eventually led to its collapse and theresumption of warbetween the two countries.
In June 1802, 104 representatives from the Maltese towns and villages signed a declaration entitledLa Dichiarazione dei Diritti degli abitanti delle Isole di Malta e Gozo(The Declaration of Rights of the inhabitants of the Islands of Malta and Gozo) by which they proclaimedGeorge IIIto be their king, and that he had no right to surrender Malta to another power. By the Declaration they also proclaimed that Malta should be self-governing while under British protection.
Politically,Lampedusawas also part of theKingdom of Sicily. In the late 18th century, whileMalta was still under the Knights, thePrince of Lampedusahad let the island to Salvatore Gatt, a Maltese entrepreneur, who settled on the island with a few Maltese workers.
The British considered taking over Lampedusa as a naval base instead of Malta, but the idea was dropped as the island did not have deep harbours and was not well developed. Despite this, the authorities in Malta and the British government still attempted to take over the island as they believed that it could be used to supply Malta with food in case Sicily fell to Napoleon.
In 1800, Ball sent a Commissariat to Lampedusa to assess the feasibility of this and the result was that the island could easily be used to supply Malta with food at a relatively low cost as there was grazing ground and an adequate water supply. In 1803, some Maltese farmers settled on Lampedusa with cattle and sheep, and they began to grow barley.
In 1810, Salvatore Gatt transferred the lease to Alexander Fernandez, the British Commissariat, and the latter attempted to create a large Maltese colony on the island. This never materialized as aRoyal commissionin 1812 stated that this was just a business venture and Britain refused to help Fernandez. Further problems arose when the plaguedevastated Maltain 1813–14, and on 25 September 1814, SirThomas Maitlandwithdrew British troops from Lampedusa.
Fernandez remained proprietor of the island until 1818, when Gatt returned and remained there with his family up to 1824.
In 1813 the island was transformed into aBritish Crown colonyby the Bathurst Constitution. On 23 July SirThomas Maitlandreplaced SirHildebrand Oakesand was the first Civil Commissioner to be given the title of "Governor". Malta officially became a colony by theTreaty of Parisin 1814.
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