Parliament Building
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Following the tempestuous experiences of the 18th century, the 19th century could not have been more different for Gibraltar.
At least for the early years of the 19th century, Gibraltar was able to enjoy relative peace and prosperity.
Two factors led to Gibraltar’s social, political and economic advancement at this time:
The imposition of the Napoleonic Continental System in Europe in 1806 & the subsequent British counter-blockade The lieutenant-governorship of Sir George Don between 1814 and 1831 Gibraltar benefited greatly from her position as a ‘loophole’ within the Continental System. She acted as the “middleman” for the passage of trade to and from Britain and continental Europe and as the auction point for prize cargoes.
The greatest beneficiaries of all were the Gibraltarian merchants, shipping agents and bankers whose rapid rise to prosperity in many ways heralded the birth of the first Gibraltarian middle class.
When these social and economic advances are considered alongside the enlightened governorship of Sir George Don, who became Lieutenant-Governor for the absent Duke of Kent in 1814, then it becomes easy to understand why Gibraltar as a port city and the Gibraltarians as a people came on in leaps and bounds in the early 1800s.
As well as the construction of the Civil Hospital, the Alameda Gardens, the first public sewers and the paving of streets, Don oversaw the relocation of the Exchange & Commercial Library, which had already been in existence for a decade, to the present-day House of Assembly building.
Construction on the new premises began in the first months of 1817 and the building was inaugurated as the new Exchange & Commercial Library by Don on the 26th August 1818.
The Library was established largely as a rival to the Garrison Library from which all civilians were excluded. But its real value lay in its role as a forum for opinion-forming and primarily for debates of a commercial nature. It also served as a vehicle to further the interests of the newly-prosperous merchants and bankers who composed Gibraltar’s new middle class.
In so doing, it became the unofficial representative body of the civilian population – the first such grouping of its kind in Gibraltar. The importance of this institution as a truly representative body should not be overstated, however. Membership of the Library was restricted to “men of standing” in the community, which usually meant the wealthier Gibraltarians only.
In 1950, the newly-created Legislative Council took up residence in the building, where it remained until its merger with the City Council in 1969 to become today’s House of Assembly.
Aside from these political functions, the building and its surroundings also served a more social and commercial role. For instance, auctions were once held in the square (then known as Commercial Square) hence the origin of its colloquial name – “El Martillo” – a clear reference to the auctioneer’s hammer.
More recently, the draw of the Government lottery was held either in the lobby or on the steps leading from the building to John Mackintosh Square. Part of the building was also once used as an Infant Welfare Centre.
History of the legislature The House of Assembly is a very young Parliament – it was only established in 1969.
We can, however, trace its origins right back to the 19th century.
In 1815 a body called the Scavenging & Paving Commission was set up to raise money to improve sanitation in Gibraltar (including the laying of drains, cleaning and paving of streets, roads, etc.).
11 Commissioners sat on the Scavenging & Paving Commission.
In 1865, following a cholera epidemic in Gibraltar, a new body was established called the Sanitary Commission with similar responsibilities – dealing with health and sanitation issues, including water supply.
The Commission was initially composed of 12 civilians. This was changed in 1880 so that 4 of the 12 had to be military.
The Commissioners were NOT elected – all were nominated by the Governor. In 1921 the Sanitary Commission was replaced by the City Council.
The City Council was, in many respects, created as a “reward” for Gibraltar’s role during WWI (as an anti-submarine & convoy base).
The City Council was based across the road from the present-day House of Assembly in the City Hall.
The Council had wider powers than the Sanitary Commission but was still limited to responsibilities of a municipal nature – i.e. the general administration of the city.
It was composed of 9 Councillors, only 4 of which were elected.
Initially, each of the 4 elected Councillors represented a ward in Gibraltar – essentially these were Gibraltar’s first-ever electoral districts.
The 4 wards were called Europa, Castle, Cathedral, and Old Town Wards.
The ward system was eventually dropped.
The other 5 Councillors (the non-elected ones) were nominated by the Governor and included representatives of the Army, Navy & Air Force.
In elections to the City Council only male ratepayers were allowed to present themselves as candidates or vote.
This meant that only men who owned or rented property could participate.
In 1950 a Legislative Council was created in addition to the City Council.
As with the City Council the Legislative Council could be said to have been a “reward” for Gibraltar’s efforts during WW2.
However, the establishment of this new Council also came at a time when the Gibraltarians were developing a strong separate identity and were becoming more widely involved in civic and political affairs (particularly following the experience of the Evacuation).
The Legislative Council (which sat in the present-day House of Assembly building) was Gibraltar’s first legislative body (its first law-making body).
Initially, the Legislative Council was composed of only 5 Elected Members although this had gone up to 11 Elected Members by 1964.
The Elected Members included (after 1959) a Chief Member.
The post of Chief Member was essentially the forerunner to the office of Chief Minister we have today, which itself was created under the 1964 Constitution.
The 1964 Constitution also established a Ministerial system of government, which is the system we have today (with Ministers as opposed to “Members” heading departments with specific responsibilities).
The post of Speaker had been created earlier in 1958. Before 1958 the Governor had presided over the Legislative Council.
In 1969 Gibraltar gained a new Constitution which, among other things, merged the Legislative and City Councils to create the House of Assembly – the Gibraltarian Parliament and the institution which has its home in this building today.
The 2007 Constitution renamed the House of Assembly to Parliament.
Source : Dennis Beiso from the Gibraltar Archives
