May 26th.—A deputation from the Jews of Ispahan waited on Sir Moses to present letters from the elders of their community, giving him long and interesting descriptions of the state of their country. Sir Moses received them with great kindness, presenting them with souvenirs of their visit to him, and assured them of the great exertions made by their brethren in England, and in other parts of the world, to ameliorate the condition of the Jews in Persia.
June 11th.—He went to Manchester, by invitation of the representatives of the Spanish and Portuguese Hebrew Community there, to be present on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the first Portuguese Synagogue in that city, and remained there several days.
In June the Shah of Persia came to England, and this gave Sir Moses an opportunity to request an audience of that monarch, which was readily granted.
Accompanied by a deputation from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Sir Moses presented a memorial to the Shah at Buckingham Palace, soliciting His Majesty's protection for his Jewish subjects. The Shah assured the deputation that he wished for the happiness of all his subjects, and would give orders that no injustice should be done to the Jews. Later on he sent the following letter, through his Minister in London, to Sir Moses:—
"I am commanded by His Majesty the Shah to acknowledge the receipt of your memorial, praying that favour and protection may be generally extended to the Jews in Persia. His Majesty has always manifested solicitude for the welfare of his subjects, without distinction of class or creed; and he will take care that no injustice or undue severity is shown to the Jewish community, whom you rightly characterise as loyal, peaceable, and industrious citizens. His Majesty thanks you for the good wishes you have expressed in regard to him.
(Signed) Malcolm."
Sir Moses, thinking it would be useful to make the good intentions of the Shah known to the Jews in Persia, as well as to the Persian public in general, had this letter translated into the Persian and Hebrew languages. He also addressed a letter of his own to the representatives of the Hebrew community in Persia; and having had the English, Hebrew, Persian, and his own letter lithographed on one large scroll, forwarded copies to hundreds of Hebrew communities in Persia, with instructions to have the scroll affixed to the principal entrance of their Synagogues.
In his letter he calls the attention of the Jews to the good intentions of the Shah, and enjoins them to pray for his life and happiness, and the prosperity of the country in which they live.
Copies of all the foregoing are preserved in Lady Montefiore's College.
October 23rd.—In commemoration of the visit of Sir Albert Sassoon to one of the schools of the Spanish and Portuguese community in the month of May in this year, Sir Moses caused a special medal to be struck. Sir Moses was delighted to see the son of Mr David Sassoon, to whom the Jews are indebted for schools, colleges, and synagogues in Bagdad, Bombay, and other places, taking the same interest in education as his father had done before him, and he gave expression to his sentiments in a letter which he wrote to Sir Albert when sending him one of the medals for his acceptance.