CHAPTER XXX.
1871.

FAMINE IN PERSIA—SIR MOSES ASSISTS IN THE WORK OF RELIEF—LORD GRANVILLE'S AID—THE TABERNACLE AT RAMSGATE—PROFESSOR MAX MÜLLER—ILLNESS OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

JULY 22nd.—A despatch reached him from Captain Henry Jones, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul-General at Tabriz, Persia, of which the following is a copy:—

"British Consulate-General, Tabriz, Persia,

June 5, 1871.

"Sir,—Knowing your sympathy for the sufferings of your co-religionists everywhere, I take the liberty to address you on behalf of the Jews of Shiraz, who are at present reduced to great want and misery through the famine which is now devastating Persia. They number, I learn, about three hundred families, and have always suffered great oppression at the hands of their Mussulman masters; you may conceive how abject and degraded is their position when you hear that their protector is the public executioner.

"My informant assures me that unless relief comes very speedily, sickness and starvation will shortly annihilate the entire community. Their sufferings must indeed be extreme when they have impressed their Mussulman fellow-subjects, usually so callous and indifferent to the distress of others.

"The Persian Government will do nothing. Were they even to relieve the sufferings of the Mussulman population their means would be exhausted. The few Europeans dwelling in Persia have already given what they could in aid of the starving Christians of Isfahan, and as these wretched Jews know not where to look for help, and have no one to plead their cause, I consider it my duty to bring their case to your notice, trusting it may be in your power, in some degree, to relieve them.

"There are several colonies of Jews in Persia, at Uroomia, Hamadan, Yezd, I believe, and elsewhere, all oppressed and trodden down, as are all their co-religionists in these regions. None, however, are enduring the frightful amount of suffering which is borne by the Jews of Shiraz.

"In the event of their co-religionists in England taking steps to alleviate this great misery, I would recommend their communicating by telegram (as speedily as possible) with Her Majesty's representatives at Teheran, who will appoint some trustworthy agent at Shiraz to distribute their bounty among the most necessitous of the sufferers there.—I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,

(Signed) "Henry M. Jones, Consul-General.

"Sir Moses Montefiore, Bart., &c., &c."

Sir Moses, without delay, addressed to Captain Jones a reply, of which the following is a copy:—

"Grosvenor Gate, Park Lane, London,

July 2, 1871.

"Sir,—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your esteemed letter dated the 5th ult., in which, prompted by a noble feeling of humanity, you have brought to my notice the present unfortunate state of my brethren in Shiraz, caused by the famine now prevailing in Persia.

"I lost no time in laying your communication before the Board of Deputies of British Jews in London, in hopes that they would, as far as may be in their power, endeavour to alleviate the sufferings of the above city. In the meantime, however, I request you will allow me to hand you, per enclosed three 'lettres de crédit circulaires,' one hundred pounds sterling as a humble offering of myself. £50 of this sum I should entreat you to give to the Jews, £25 to the Christians, and £25 to the Mussulmans in Shiraz.

"With regard to the great oppressions to which the Jews generally have been subjected in Persia, I beg leave to state that by the kind intercession of Her Britannic Majesty's Ambassador in Teheran I was permitted in the year 1866 to lay my humble petition on behalf of the Jews before His Majesty the Shah Nazr-ed-din, and had at that time the high gratification of being informed, through Her Majesty's Government, that the Shah had given immediate orders to the Sipeh Sálár to the effect that every possible care should henceforth be taken of the Jews, so that no injustice whatever be done any more to them. It is for this reason a matter of deep regret to me, and as I have no doubt to every friend of humanity, to hear that the high officer under whose special care the Jews had then been placed should have ceased to act in accordance with the strict orders of His Majesty the Shah.

"Being anxious to impress on the minds of my brethren in Shiraz the gratitude they owe to you for having made known their state of misery to the Jews in England, I have addressed the enclosed letter to the spiritual head of their community, and will deem it a great favour if you will kindly have it forwarded to the proper authorities.

"I need not assure you how fully I appreciate your advocacy on behalf of my brethren. Every lover of justice will admit you have rendered a great service to the poor and oppressed; the consciousness alone of so noble an act is no doubt the highest gratification to you.—I have the honour to be, Sir, with great esteem, your most obedient servant,

(Signed) "Moses Montefiore.

"Captain H. M. Jones, Her Britannic Majesty's

Consul-General, Tabriz."

Sir Moses lost no time in communicating the sad intelligence to the Board of the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews, who resolved:—"That the President be requested to forward a copy of his letter to the Board, with extracts from the letter of Captain Jones, and a copy of his letter in reply, to the President of every Jewish congregation in the United Kingdom, and to urge on such President, in the name of the Board, to take the speediest steps in order to obtain subscriptions from the congregation over which he presides and from individual congregants in aid of the sufferers, and that this Board desires to record its high appreciation of the benevolent feelings of which Captain Jones' communication affords such gratifying evidence."

Sir Moses readily complied with the request of the Board, and a very considerable amount was collected.