Constructing Ionian identities: the Ionian Islands in British official ...

political situation following the move from Venetian to French Republican rule
resulted in civil war, which lasted until 1815. This led the Great Powers to reject
complete independence for the Ionians. The Islands were not only unfit to govern
themselves but were also incapable of securing their territorial boundaries. Maitland
used the ‘unstable’ and ‘immature’ political behaviour of the Ionians under the
different regimes to justify the authoritarian nature of the Constitutional Charter of
1817. 34
Reactions to the settlement
The Treaty of Paris was debated in the House of Commons in 1816, despite not
requiring ratification there. It was introduced by the radical Whig, Charles Monck.
The Tory MP, Leslie Foster, defended the government’s position. Monck favoured
Parliamentary reform in principle and almost always voted alongside the opposition
throughout his parliamentary career. 35 The independence of the Ionian Islands
became his major campaign in the House of Commons. His interest in the Septinsula
came from a personal affiliation with the place and a love for everything Greek. He
was an enthusiastic classical scholar who honeymooned in the Islands. Monck
requested the papers from the occupation of the Islands to the present day from Lord
Castlereagh in February 1816 to prepare for the debate. 36
34 This same argument was used in the House of Commons by the government every time there were
radical protests about the construction of the Treaty of Paris.
35 Kilburn M., “Sir Charles Miles Lambert Monck”, in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,
(Oxford, 2004).
36 st Hansard T. C., Parliamentary debates, 1 Series, XXXII, 14 February 1816, pp. 540-41.
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