General elections were held in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

between 16 and 20 August 1849,Michael J Schiavone (1987) ''L-Elezzjonijiet F'Malta 1849–1981'', Pubblikazzjoni Bugelli, p3 the first in the country's history.

Background

In 1835, Malta was granted a Government Council by the British authorities. It consisted of the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

, four officials and three members appointed by the governor.Schiavone, pp1–3 In June 1849 Governor

Richard More O'Ferrall Richard More O'Ferrall (10 April 1797 – 27 October 1880) was an Irish politician, a high level British government official and a Governor of Malta. Born to a noble Irish Catholic family at Balyna, he was the eldest son and heir of Ambrose Mo ...

passed a new constitution that increased the Council to 18 members, of which ten would be appointed and eight elected.

Results

A total of 3,767 people were registered to vote, of which 3,315 cast votes, giving a turnout of 88%.

References

{{Maltese elections

1849 Events January–March * January 1 – France begins issue of the Ceres series, the nation's first postage stamps. * January 5 – Hungarian Revolution of 1848: The Austrian army, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz, enters in th ...

1849 elections in Europe 1849 in Malta August 1849 events