Since the matter has been with him (1882) not one penny has been spent in office expenses. Until last year they paid their agent in the Holy Land £200 a-year, but this has now been reduced to £100 a-year.
They are spending about £360 in erecting fences round the centre buildings, reserved as the present property of the Committee of the Testimonial Fund.
It would, undoubtedly, have been a cause of much satisfaction to Sir Moses to have seen some encouragement given to agricultural undertakings, even on a small scale, but the Committee not feeling justified in adopting this course, he expressed his appreciation of their decision with gratitude.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Committee (February 28th, 1876), he says: "Conjointly with other well-wishers of Zion, I fully appreciate their labours, as well as their frequent sacrifices of valuable time and convenience to the hallowed cause of religion. May they all, I fervently pray to Heaven, reap the high reward vouchsafed unto those who seek to establish peace and happiness in the city of the Lord, and may they become living witnesses of the speedy restoration of Zion to its former effulgent glory."
However, after his return from Jerusalem, a meeting was held on the 15th of December 1875, by the Palestine Society, as a preliminary to the formation of a Palestine Colonization Fund, at which, in conformity with a resolution proposed by Mr Jacob Montefiore, it was agreed that a deputation of members of the society and friends of the cause of Palestine should wait on the Turkish Ambassador. Accordingly, on Tuesday, December 21st, by special appointment, a number of gentlemen represented to his Excellency the growing desire in this country to promote the colonisation of Syria and Palestine by persons of good character (more especially Jews), willing to devote themselves to agriculture and industry, in response to the invitation put forward a few years ago by the Turkish Government. Pointing out the great financial improvement likely to result from such utilization of waste lands, the deputation asked if the conditions originally offered to foreign settlers by the Ottoman Government, together with the various firmans published from time to time for the benefit of the subjects of His Majesty the Sultan, would now be applicable to foreign immigrants. His Excellency pointed out in reply, that foreigners were at liberty to purchase land or other property in any part of Turkey, and to remain under the protection of their own Consuls; or they might take advantage of the offers of the Turkish Government, and receive grants of land, becoming amenable to Turkish law, and in all respects being Turkish subjects. His Excellency added that the Ottoman Government had taken great trouble to promulgate these conditions, which, he regretted to say, had not as yet been responded to. The principal points in these conditions are, that the settlers are exempt from all taxes, territorial or personal, for twelve years; they are exempt also from military service, but pay the tax in lieu thereof after twelve years. After twenty years they acquire a title to their lands, and are at liberty to dispose of them as they please. By the recent "Hát" (firman), the Ambassador said, the following privileges are secured: the power of electing judicial and administrative bodies, the power of electing the collectors of tithes, freedom to religious communities to control their own affairs, and free power of holding and bequeathing property.
The names of the members of the deputation, and of those noblemen and gentlemen who, not attending, signified their cordial sympathy and approval, revived in Sir Moses the hope that, notwithstanding the present disinclination of the Testimonial Committee to encourage agriculture, the time might yet arrive when they would gladly avail themselves of a favourable opportunity to promote his long cherished scheme.
The Diary of 1876 contains but very few entries. He complains of being weak and unwell, but his indisposition does not prevent him from seeing friends and attending to all his correspondence, which increased daily. He was occasionally present at Divine service in the Synagogue, and at the lectures delivered in the College, and often contemplated having a telephone between these two sacred buildings and his own chamber, so as to enable him to join the congregation in prayer, and listen to the lectures, when prevented by illness from leaving his couch.
He took his regular drives whenever the weather was favourable, enjoyed the fine view of the sea when in his room, telling the friends who happened to be with him of the approach of a vessel long before they were able to see it, and never failing to have at least two of the principal daily papers read to him.
June 17th.—The reader will probably remember that in the year 1874 Sir Moses requested Mrs Tait to sit for her bust, to be placed in the Orphanage of St Peter's. It was now unveiled on the occasion of the opening, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, of a new convalescent home in connection with the St Peter's Orphanage. The ceremony was performed by Dr Loewe in the name of Sir Moses Montefiore, who sent a cheque for one hundred guineas to the Archbishop for the institution.