Reference is made to J.A. Mizzi's article First Governor Ball (October 19) which describes Sir Alexander Ball as the "first British Governor of Malta".

In fact, the first Governor of Malta was Sir Thomas Maitland who was appointed in 1813. The historical record shows Ball as having "only" occupied various appointments such as "the English Captain leading the Maltese Contadini", "Minister Plenipotentiary in Malta for the King of Naples", "Civil Commissioner", but never "Governor".

During the period 1798-1815, Malta experienced a series of major constitutional and social upheavals, finally culminating in becoming a British colony technically only after the Treaty of Paris, as endorsed by the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815).

Ball lobbied in favour of the Maltese and their rights and probably supported the Maltese Declaration of Rights when the Popolo Maltese offered the islands to a foreign sovereign (King George) not unconditionally, but on those terms and conditions requested by the Maltese.

It is sufficient to observe that during that tumultuous period up to the Treaty of Paris, interested powers as disparate as the King of Naples, the Czar of Russia, the French and the British, even the Pope through the squabbling remnants of the Order of Saint John, were all making designs on Malta, and that meanwhile the Popolo Maltese was making documented, direct representations to most of, if not all, those same powers.

There is no record of any "Governor", British or other, during that period. (The National Congress established and chaired by Ball since 1799 was inspired by the old Consiglio Popolare which had been abolished by the Knights).

As rightly pointed out by Mr Mizzi, Ball (to his credit) complained about the fact that neither he as representative of the King of Naples, nor the Maltese were present on the act of surrender signed in 1800 (by Vaubois and General Pigot).

However, Mr Mizzi fails to note that the military rule under Pigot operated in parallel with Ball's continuing civil administration, the authority of which, at least nominally, continued to be the Neapolitan Crown. Ball was recalled in February 1801 to be replaced by Sir Charles Cameron as "Civil Commissioner". Ball succeeded Cameron in July 1802 but not as civil commissioner, rather as "Minister plenipotentiary to the Order of St John". After the failure of the 1802 Treaty of Amiens, Ball was appointed "Civil Commissioner" in May 1803, and it was only then that he obtained the removal of Neapolitan troops from Malta. Ball continued as civil commissioner until his death in October 1809. His successor was the military commander, Major-General Hildebrand-Oakes, who was himself replaced in 1813 by Sir Thomas Maitland, the first to be described by the British as "Governor".

Various books and articles have been written on the vexing question regarding the authority of the British during the earliest years of the 19th century. A recent one titled "The British claim to rule Malta 1800-1813" by Howard Davis and Barry Hough is published in Melita Historica. It describes how even when the question was the subject of an important constitutional case decided in 1938, the earliest date when a British Governor was first appointed was October 1813, when Maitland published a Proclamation by George III to the effect that the King had determined "henceforth to recognise the people of Malta and Gozo as subjects of the British Crown and as entitled to its fullest protection".

I support Mr Mizzi's call for a proper commemoration of Alexander Ball who indisputably championed the rights of the Maltese. But with the greatest respect to Mr Mizzi, I daresay Alexander Ball would be turning in his grave if he were to be told that 200 years later, he's remembered for being Governor of Malta!

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