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

CHAPTER XVI.
1862.

THE JAFFA AND JERUSALEM RAILWAY—LORD DUFFERIN—SIR MOSES AND LADY MONTEFIORE'S GOLDEN WEDDING—DEATH OF LADY MONTEFIORE.

TWENTY-FOUR years having now passed since Sir Moses made the entry in his diary on the desirability of having a railway between Jaffa and Jerusalem, without his having witnessed any further attempt to accomplish so important an undertaking, the reader will find it interesting to learn his suggestions.

March 10th.—Sir John M'Neil and General Chesney came to him at the Alliance. He expressed his feelings regarding the prospectus, in which his name had been printed as a director. They said it was a mistake. In the end he promised to meet them at the Athenæum on the morrow. Lord Dufferin would be there, and Sir Moses promised he would endeavour to find some city man as a director. He immediately wrote to some of his friends on the subject, but did not succeed in persuading them to become directors of the proposed railway.

In the course of the afternoon Sir Moses went to the Athenæum, where he met Sir John M'Neil, General Chesney, and General Sabine. They were soon joined by Lord Dufferin. Sir Moses says: "I held that the concession for the Jaffa railway should be obtained with a guarantee of five or six per cent. on the outlay; that two or three influential persons should be selected as directors, and that the Turkish Ambassador should be an ex-officio director, as his presence at the board would sanction the contracts, and thereby secure, without dispute, the guarantee return on the outlay. I mentioned several persons it would be desirable to get as directors. Lord Dufferin told the gentlemen present that he wished to speak with Sir Moses alone, and they then took their leave. His Lordship said that he was happy to have the opportunity of seeing him, and that at Damascus he had heard how much he had done for the people there. He said the outbreak was very near reaching the Jewish quarter. He had received great attention from the Jews, and had dined with some of them. He expressed his satisfaction at the course Sir Moses had recommended, but said he could not act without the addition of some wealthy city people.

"His Lordship," Sir Moses observes, "is a most elegant and agreeable young man."

"Lord Dufferin," he adds, in a postscript, "said to me he had asked Lord John Russell to be a patron, but he would not consent. Lord Dufferin spoke of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe and Lord Clarendon; but I said I thought it would be quite unnecessary to have any patrons, if his Lordship was the chairman of the company."

After leaving the Athenæum, Sir Moses called on Sir Culling Eardly and told him that he had been with Lord Dufferin, and had great hopes that the scheme would be carried out. Early in May he sent a letter to the representatives of his ancient congregation, resigning his office as one of their Deputies, an honour which he had enjoyed for thirty-seven years. He was urgently requested to withdraw his resignation, but would not do so, as he felt it out of his power to fulfil the duties to his own satisfaction.

During the same month he received a letter from the Viceroy of Egypt, who was then staying at the Palace of the Tuileries at Paris as the guest of the Emperor. His Highness thanked Sir Moses, who had offered him his house in Park Lane, and regretted that it reached him too late, as he had already engaged a house at Richmond. He added, however, that he was none the less grateful for Sir Moses' offer.