On 2 March 1888, Malta was in the middle of an election that changed the mechanics of colonial government. For decades, the “Council of Government” had existed, but it was structurally stacked: officials and the Governor could ultimately block or outvote elected voices, especially on money. That frustration had been brewing for years, and it even surfaced in London as a live political problem, with MPs and peers openly describing Maltese anger at being treated like a classic