The reception they had given in the preceding year to Toussoun Pasha, and the benefit which he derived from his stay in England, induced his father, the Viceroy of Egypt, to send him again to this country, and a telegram to this effect having reached them from Corfu, the necessary arrangements had at once to be made for his reception.
July 22nd.—They were much pained to hear that the Committee of the Holy Land Appeal Fund were obliged to come to a decision to discontinue the weaving establishment and the girls' school, each requiring at least £300 a year to keep them up.
To counterbalance, as it were, their disappointment in the success of two institutions in the Holy Land, for which they had so much exerted themselves, they had the satisfaction of witnessing in England the successful issue of their struggles for civil and religious liberty.
Baron Lionel de Rothschild took his seat (July 26) in the House of Commons, and Sir Moses, as President of the London Committee of Deputies of British Jews, signed the following resolutions, which had been unanimously adopted at a meeting held on that day at the Spanish and Portuguese Vestry Chambers:
"That this Board hails with the sincerest gratification the passing of the Bill affording to Her Majesty's subjects professing the Jewish religion the means of enjoying seats in the Legislature.
"That this Board offers its warmest thanks to those members of the Houses of Lords and Commons whose votes and influence have produced this great result.
"That the grateful acknowledgments of this Board are especially due to the electors of the city of London, whose noble, untiring, and enlightened labours have achieved a crowning victory in the cause of civil and religious liberty.
"To Baron Rothschild, M.P., and to all those valued friends whose efforts have for years been unceasingly devoted to the removal of Jewish disabilities, this Board is also desirous to testify its respect and gratitude.
"This Board assures its fellow-countrymen that it prizes most highly this act of right and justice; and that the heart of every British Jew yearns as warmly and beats as vividly for the glory and prosperity of his native land as that of every other British subject.
"That the foregoing resolutions be advertised in the daily papers and in the Jewish press.
"Moses Montefiore, President."
Two days later he went to meet the young Prince, Toussoun Pasha, on his arrival from Folkestone, and took him and his suite to Park Lane. Amusements of every description were provided for him—excursions, dinners, and soirees, similar to those given in his honour on the occasion of the former visit of His Highness to England.
Sir Moses had now been associated with the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews for nearly half a century, and for more than twenty years, with a few interruptions, had presided over its affairs. Alderman Philips (now Sir Benjamin Philips), in the early part of the year 1857, at the first meeting of the Board, after Sir Moses had formally resigned the presidential seat, moved: "That an address should be presented to him, expressing the thanks of the Board for the faithful, zealous, and impartial manner in which he had fulfilled his duties." All parties unanimously assented to it, but a variety of circumstances had tended to prevent the presentation till now.
Monday, October 11th.—When, at the meeting of the Board of Deputies, Alderman Philips presented the address, he said, "that, in doing so, he deemed it a great honour to be the medium of communicating the sentiments of the Board to one whose uniform kindness and courtesy, and whose veneration for the religion of his forefathers, has won for him the esteem, the admiration, and, he might almost say, the love, not alone of the Jews of this happy land, but of those of the civilised world."
In reply to the address, Sir Moses said: "However inadequately I may express my deep sense of this valued evidence of your esteem and regard, I desire most earnestly to assure you of my sincere and cordial thanks for the tribute of appreciation conveyed to me in the very flattering address with which you have been pleased to honour me. I desire further to assure you that Lady Montefiore most heartily unites with me in grateful thanks for your congratulations on our safe return to England, and for the expression of your hope that the God of Israel may vouchsafe to us, in happy union for many years, His gracious protection and blessing.
"You remind me that for nearly half a century I have been associated with this body, and that for more than twenty years of that period I have, with few interruptions, presided over its affairs. It is true that advanced age and impaired health might, some time since, have reasonably resulted in the severance of our connection in this latter relation, the continuance of which I must attribute, not to any merit of my own, but to your kind personal feeling towards me. But sensible as I have been that the high and honourable office of your president might well have been entrusted to younger and abler hands, I feel that no one could have experienced from you more friendly support or more flattering indulgence than you have extended to me.
"With respect to the efforts which I have been privileged to make in foreign countries to advance the position of our co-religionists in the social and moral scale—and to which you have so gracefully and complimentarily alluded in referring to the temporary interruptions of my presidentship—they are, independently of the gratification I derive from your approval of them, a source of enduring, welcome remembrance, both to myself and to Lady Montefiore, who, accompanying me on all occasions, has most cheerfully encountered no inconsiderable amount of fatigue and hardship. I rejoice greatly that, by the blessing of the Almighty, these efforts have not been fruitless.
"Grateful for all your acts of kindness, and particularly for this valued token of your commendation, I heartily pray God—and in this prayer Lady Montefiore sincerely joins—to bless you all with continued health and prosperity."
November 10th.— Sir Moses received a letter from the Honourable C. B. Phipps, stating that the Queen had commanded him to inform Sir Moses that Her Majesty would receive the son of the Viceroy of Egypt on the following Monday, at three o'clock, at Windsor Castle.
Accordingly, on the 15th November, Sir Moses proceeded with the Prince to the Castle. On their arrival, they were asked if they had lunched, as Her Majesty had given orders for lunch to be prepared for them. Sir Moses replied that he was thankful for Her Majesty's hospitality, but they had lunched already. They were then conducted into a beautiful drawing-room commanding a view of Windsor Park, and, after waiting there a few minutes, Colonel Biddulph entered, and led them along a gallery into a beautiful room, where they found assembled the Queen, the Prince Consort, and several children of the Royal family. Sir Moses introduced Toussoun Pasha to Her Majesty. They were most graciously received by the Queen and the Prince. Her Majesty thought the Pasha had grown tall and stout, and was looking well. Her Majesty then brought forward the children to shake hands with the Pasha. A little girl, apparently not above two or three years old, came forward and held out her little hand in the most elegant and graceful manner possible. "The dear little angel," Sir Moses says, "looked pleased, and smiled when the young Prince stepped forward and took the little hand." Her Majesty then introduced the other children to him, and all shook hands, the Queen remarking that one of the Princes was of his own age. After some few inquiries of Sir Moses whether the Pasha had been long in England, and when he would leave, the Queen came and shook hands with the Pasha, and said to Sir Moses: "I wish him to tell his father everything that is kind on my part." Sir Moses assured Her Majesty that her wish should be complied with. He then thanked Her Majesty and the Prince, for the Pasha, for their kindness and condescension, and took leave, Colonel Biddulph conducting them to their carriage.