If a Jew dies, and has no son to succeed to his property, the will of the deceased is set aside, and the Master takes possession of his property.
"Rejjeb Ali Khan, who returned from Tabreez to Oroomiah last summer, demanded, while I was at the latter town, 120 tomans, the greater part of which he had then collected, and he absolutely refused to reckon this sum as part of the regular taxes. A deputation from the Jews left for Tabreez last summer to petition the authorities there, but the son of the Master heard of their departure, and they had been seized and brought back to Oroomiah.
"As an example of the unfair manner in which these taxes are imposed, the case of one Jew may be cited, who during last year paid twelve tomans as his share, though there are only four persons living in his house, and also that of his brother, who lives by himself and has no shop, and yet had to pay six tomans."
Lord Stanley approved of Mr Alison's exertions in favour of the Jews and Nestorians, and desired him to take every suitable opportunity of strongly pressing upon the Shah and his Ministers the interest felt by Her Majesty's Government in both these classes of his subjects, and their earnest hope that the Shah would extend to them his protection, redress any wrongs which they may suffer, and make his Moslem subjects clearly understand that any act of violence and wrong on Jews or Christians would not only entail upon them personal punishment, but the payment of pecuniary compensation to the sufferers.
Notwithstanding the representations of the British Government, however, complaints of oppression continued to arrive from various places in Persia, appealing for help, and the anxiety of Sir Moses became considerably increased by the cry of anguish which reached him from Moldavia.
"On the 4th of May last," the supplicants say in their letter to him, "a decree was issued by the Minister to expel all the Jews from the villages of Moldavia as coming under the category of vagabonds. Scarcely was the edict made known, when the Minister himself arrived here; in another moment the enemies of Israel filled the streets and public places, seized every Jew, without distinction, that came in their way, crying out, 'He is a vagabond;' bound him hand and foot with chains, beat him unmercifully; drove out alike old and young, chased them out of the city, and delivered them over to the mercy of the soldiery to drive them beyond the frontier.
"A cry of anguish from the women, and like lamentations from the men, went up to Heaven. Old men and children, women with children at the breast, cry aloud, but there are none to pity, none to look with compassion. They have been driven from all the villages, made to leave their possessions, their goods and chattels, in the hands of their enemies, and have escaped only with their lives.
"The heads of the congregation here have entreated the Minister to withdraw the decree, but in vain have they supplicated. Non-Israelites have also sought justice for the Jews, but they have pleaded to a deaf ear. He seeks only their expulsion.
"In three days the prisons were overcrowded with our brethren. Their persecutions for a while abated, still we were in fear and trembling lest every moment they should be renewed with fresh vigour, for the decree has not yet been recalled.
"A great evil threatens us, the hatred increases every day and every hour—there is none to stay the hand. We therefore make known to you these our troubles and distresses, beseeching you with burning tears to aid us all in your power, and to defend the cause of the oppressed Israelites who are driven from the land of Moldavia.
"May the Creator of heaven and earth, the God of Israel, help us.
"Trouble upon trouble! During the last three days soldiers have been going about the streets molesting the Jews, and with their swords they injured a woman with child. Her cries brought persons to her rescue, and those who endeavoured to take the weapons from the soldiers were seized, thrown into prison, and charged with attempting to murder the soldiery. We have no one to look to for help except our Father in Heaven and His servant Moses. The chief matters we dare not venture to write, out of dread and apprehension, for we are as sheep in the hands of the slaughterers."
Sir Moses received numerous petitions to the same effect from Galatz and Berlad, which he forwarded to the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews. The British Government took every opportunity to help them, yet no redress could be obtained, and the cries of the sufferers continued.