Satisfactory Measures of the French Government. 7

shedding human blood for sacrifices. You express the desire that the agents of His Majesty in the East should be instructed not only to abstain from doing anything which might tend to strengthen this prejudice, but to use all means in their power to combat and destroy it.

"The Government of the King regards the imputation in question as false and calumnious, and its agents are, in general, too enlightened to think of abetting it in any way. The Government would deeply regret their doing such a thing, and would not hesitate to censure them severely for it. This is what the Government has done in the particular case to which you refer, regarding the disappearance, in April last, of a Christian child of Damascus, and also regarding the accusation which the agent of the French Consulate appears to have been emboldened to bring before the Pasha in this matter. No direct information having reached me on these subjects, I asked the King's Consul at Damascus for an explanation, and commanded him in the event of the facts which had been stated to you proving true, to express my severe disapprobation to the agent, who upon a simple rum ur would have ventured such an accusation against a whole people.-Accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest esteem. (Signed) "GUIZOT."

"Sir Moses Montefiore, &c."

He

August 30th.-Sir Moses called on Viscount Palmerston, and communicated to him what had passed between His Majesty the King of the French, Monsieur Guizot, and himself. gave his Lordship a copy of his Memorial to the King, and of Monsieur Guizot's letter to himself. Lord Palmerston expressed his happiness at receiving so favourable an account, and said he trusted his endeavours would have the desired result, and that the French authorities at Damascus had certainly encouraged the charge against the Jews.

In the same year we find Sir Moses Montefiore's name gazetted (September 24) as Deputy-Lieutenant of the County of Kent, an honour which he highly prized. Later on he laid the foundation stone of the Canterbury Synagogue, and addressed the assembly. On his return to London he presided at a meeting of the London Committee of Deputies of the British Jews, which had been convened by him for the purpose of considering the propriety of an address from that Board to Pope Pius the Ninth, to express their thanks to the Sovereign Pontiff for the benevolent solicitude he had manifested for the welfare of the Israelites under his dominion, and for the judicious measures he had adopted to improve their condition. It was resolved to prepare an address to be first forwarded to Lord Palmerston, and then with his consent to be presented by Baron Charles de Rothschild of Naples to the Pope, who, in due course acknowledged the receipt of the same, in a courteous letter addressed to the President by Cardinal Teretti.

December 18th-He had the satisfaction of learning from the evening papers that Lord John Russell's motion for the removal of the civil and political disabilities affecting Her Majesty's Jewish subjects had been carried on the previous night, the numbers being 250 "Ayes," and 186 "Noes,"majority, 64.

This pleasing event was followed by another: the reception of a letter from the elders of the Hebrew community of Damascus, in which they expressed their gratitude to him for his exertions on their behalf with the French Government.

CHAPTER II.

1848.

THE POLISH AND RUSSIAN JEWS AND THE QUESTION OF AGRICULTURE-THE JEWISH DISABILITIES IN PARLIAMENT AGAIN-THE CHARTIST RIOTS-SIR MOSES AND LADY MONTEFIORE DEPART FOR THE HOLY LAND-ABSURD CHARGE BROUGHT AGAINST THEM-THEIR RETURN TO ENGLAND.

N the early part of the year 1848 Sir Moses was occupied

and

had several interviews with Baron Brunnow on the subject. A plan, drawn up by Mr Posener of Warsaw, in connection with the tenancy, treatment, and improvement of farms, fields, and estates generally in the dominions of the Czar, was submitted by Sir Moses to the Ambassador, who fully approved of it.

At home his interest was centered in the Bill for the removal of Jewish disabilities, which was read a second time on the night of the 11th February, and passed by a majority of 73, there having been 277 for and 204 against it. Sir Robert Peel, in his memorable speech on this occasion, spoke in most flattering terms of Sir Moses.

Lady Montefiore's interest in politics was also much sustained by her regular interchange of visits with Mrs Disraeli, who was a near neighbour.

April 9th.-In consequence of the threatening Chartist riots, much alarm was felt at the meeting of the rioters which was convened for the morrow, and it was found necessary to take measures for the protection of the Bank of England, the parapet of which was lined and covered with sand-bags, to form a breast-work.

April 10th.-Sir Moses was at Mount Street at half-past eight this morning. Mr Graham, a magistrate, was in attendance, and remained with him till three, swearing in about 450

special constables. "It has been," he says, "a day of much anxiety for the public peace, but, thank God! the Chartists' meeting has proved a complete failure." At three o'clock he went to the Alliance and the Irish Bank, where all the clerks had been sworn in; some were to remain till late in the evening. Sir Moses returned afterwards to Mount Street, where he remained till five.

May 11th.-Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore attended the first Drawing-Room of the season.

May 25th.-Sir Moses proceeded to the House of Lords. "Sir Augustus Clifford," he writes, "was so good as to procure for me a place at the Bar, and at six o'clock a place near the Throne. The debate for the removal of Jewish disabilities lasted till half-past one. It was a painful excitement. The majority against us was thirty-five, much greater than was expected."

The Duke of Cambridge, on that occasion, although one of the opponents of the Bill from conscientious motives, made a speech in which he expressed himself favourably towards the character of the Jews in general, and more especially towards that of Sir Moses.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, however, also from conscientious motives, supported the Bill. The course taken by the latter prince, it may be observed, has been amply justified by the experience of the last forty years. In this country, as well as in all others where Jews have been admitted into the legislature, their presence has unquestionably had no unfavourable effect on the administration of the law.

On the 7th of July Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore made a little excursion to Scotland, and on their return to town attended a soirée at the Marquis of Salisbury's. Whilst they were passing the evening here, visitors of a different description had availed themselves of the temporary absence of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore to effect an entrance into the drawingroom at Park Lane, whence the thieves succeeded in abstracting every article of gold and silver, as well as the Hamburg medal and many other valuable testimonials and mementoes.

In November they took an active part on a Committee which had been formed in Ramsgate, for providing relief for one hundred and sixty emigrants who had been saved from the ship Burgundy, and in December they provided one hundred of

Epitaph in the Church of the Capuchins.

11

the London poor with blankets, again sent medical supplies from Apothecaries' Hall to their dispensary in Jerusalem, and visited the London Hospital and several other charitable institutions.

The reader will probably remember that in the year 1840, when Sir Moses appealed to Cardinal Riverola, head of the Capuchins in Rome, for the removal of the libellous and malicious epitaph in the Church of the Capuchins at Damascus, respecting the supposed murder of Padre Tomaso, His Eminence promised him his aid; but the events of Deir el-Kámár and Damascus having given undoubted evidence of the spirit of hatred and persecution which still filled the hearts of the people, Sir Moses entertained serious doubts as to the fulfilment of that promise, and resolved to go there himself to ascertain the actual state of affairs.

The French Government having so forcibly expressed their disbelief in the accusations brought against the Jews, and having so severely censured the Agent of the French Consulate in Damascus, he thought, in the event of the epitaph in question being still in existence, he might now be able, with the assistance of the French Government and the Cardinal, to get it removed.

Independently of his own feelings on the matter, he was desirous of complying with the urgent prayer of the representatives of the Hebrew community at Damascus, who addressed several letters to him on that subject. "We have reason," they wrote, "to be greatly distressed on account of this epitaph, as by it the feelings of hatred and revenge entertained by Christians towards Jews may be perpetuated through coming generations. Whosoever sees the inscription is filled with hatred and indignation against Israel."

Many important meetings which he, as President of the Board of Deputies of the Congregation of British Jews, had to attend, and various engagements of communal interest, prevented Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore leaving England before May the 16th.

This delay, however, was productive of considerable pleasure to them, inasmuch as they were thereby enabled to receive the congratulations of their friends on the result of the debate in the House of Commons respecting the second reading of the