Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume 2 (of 2) / Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded in Their Diaries, from 1812 to 1883

by Sir Moses Montefiore; Lady Judith Cohen Montefiore

May 31st.—Sir Culling Eardly had another interview with the Grand Vizier; it being Sabbath, Sir Moses was prevented from going. In the evening he received a note from Sir Culling, expressing his regret that the Grand Vizier had appointed that day for the interview, and begging that he would go on Monday to the Grand Vizier, as the latter would leave soon. Count Strzelsky sent him the paper which he had agreed to deliver to the Grand Vizier, and Sir Moses signed it.

June 2nd.—He met Count Strzelsky at Clarendon Hotel, where he had an audience of the Grand Vizier, to present to him the paper regarding the Jerusalem Railway. He read it very carefully, and promised to recommend it to the attention of the Sultan.

Sir John Macneil, whom Sir Moses saw a few months later, advised them to have a railroad from Jaffa to Lidda, and thence a macadamized road for carriages across the mountains. A railroad, he said, would cost from £4000 to £4500 per mile, the other £150. He thought the Government would not give land, and would guarantee only 6 per cent., as the road would not pay.

Count Strzelsky then went to Constantinople, and on his return, about the 8th December, he told Sir Moses, in the presence of Sir Culling Eardly, Sir John Macneil, Mr Ashley, and others, all that had passed there regarding the Jaffa railway; and that the Government would only guarantee 6 per cent., and give no land.

Sir Francis Palgrave evinced much sympathy for the Jews in the Holy Land, and had frequent interviews with Sir Moses to consider the best mode of serving their cause. He thought they should be placed under the immediate protection of the Sultan, like the Armenian Protestants. Sir Francis continued for many years to take an interest in their welfare, and Sir Moses always appreciated his suggestions, referring to the improvement of their occupations.

Early in this year the Jewish Disabilities Bill again excited attention both in and out of Parliament.

On April 9th Sir Moses writes:—"Whilst sitting under the gallery of the House of Commons, together with Baron Lionel de Rothschild, Sir J. L. Goldsmid, and the Lord Mayor, during the debate for altering the oath so as to admit Jews as members of Parliament, I had the happiness of witnessing another step towards the attainment of religious liberty. The Bill was passed by a majority of 35."

On May 7th he was present at the banquet given at the Mansion House by the Lord Mayor to Her Majesty's Ministers, and the day following he joined the procession of the Court of Lieutenancy to Buckingham Palace, to present addresses of congratulation to the Queen on the happy restoration of peace. The bells rang merry peals at midnight, every one was rejoiced, and there was no doubt of the truth of the good tidings.

As President of the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews, he was much occupied this year with the Dissenters' Marriage Bill, containing a clause (constituting the twenty-second section), which was objected to by the Board in a former Bill. He signed the address to the King of Sardinia on his arrival in England; also a letter of thanks to the British Government for the kindness extended by them to some of the Hebrew Russian soldiers taken prisoners at Kertsch; and finally brought under the notice of the Foreign Office a petition to the Prince of Servia from two thousand Israelites dwelling under his sway, to ameliorate their condition, and obtain all the rights of citizenship. He also paid much attention to the Carmara case, referring to the family of that name in Constantinople, who fell victims to Sultan Máhmoud's Government. The chief of that family having had claims of a considerable amount on the Sultan's Treasury, the debt appeared to have been cancelled by the sudden execution of the creditor, at night, in his own house, without trial. One night after he had retired to rest there was a violent knocking at his door, and an officer, with whom he was on friendly terms, entered. This officer had been charged, by the Sultan's commands, to murder him with the aid of a band of authorised assassins. The Sultan 'Abd-ool-Megid, on consideration of the injustice done, allowed the family a pension.