1876.
CONGRATULATIONS ON HIS RETURN TO ENGLAND--THE
TESTIMONIAL FUND--PALESTINE COLONIZATION FUND--UNVEILING
THE BUST OF MRS TAIT--BAD NEWS FROM
EASTERN EUROPE--MUSURUS PASHA'S ASSURANCES.
The Executive Committee of the Sir Moses Montefiore Testimonial,
engaged since the beginning of 1876 in promoting the object in view,
held frequent meetings to consider the best means of carrying out
his wishes. They advertised in English, German, and Hebrew papers
for qualified persons to act as their agents in the Holy Land, and
succeeded in securing the services of a qualified gentleman anxious to
help the good cause. It was decided that the fund should be devoted to
the purchase of ground in the Holy Land, to the erection of houses,
and generally to the encouragement of agriculture and of industrial
pursuits.
Those of my readers who are subscribers to the Testimonial Fund will
no doubt be glad to learn the progress which has been made up to
the present year, 1887, and I will therefore at once give them the
substance of all the information I have received on the subject before
proceeding to record any incident of the year 1876.
A report of the said Committee, dated February 16th, 1883, states that,
"After great consideration and careful investigation they acquired two
plots of land in a very favourable situation, outside the walls of
Jerusalem, at a cost of about £1000, and entered into contracts with
two building societies for the erection of suitable dwellings on the
site.
"The members of one of their societies, the 'Mishkenoth Israel,' belong
to the German Hebrew community at Jerusalem, and those of the other,
the 'Ohel-Moshe,' to the Portuguese Hebrew community.
"The basis of these contracts is, that as the work progresses, the
Committee undertakes to make advances free of interest, in proportion
to the progress, as certified by their local architect. Thus, the
society, 'Mishkenoth Israel,' in consideration of sums amounting in
all to £2600, to be advanced to them by the Committee, have undertaken
to erect eighty single or forty double houses, as well as a synagogue,
cisterns, baths, and such other buildings as may be considered
necessary for the common use of the inhabitants of the houses. It has
been agreed that this advance shall be repaid within fifteen years, and
upon such repayment the houses are to become the absolute property of
the Society, but that, on the other hand, the buildings for common use
are always to remain the property of the Committee, and the name of
Sir Moses Montefiore is to be inscribed on the group of buildings as a
lasting tribute to his memory.
"As regards agricultural undertakings in the Holy Land, the Committee
have not yet felt justified in entering upon or giving pecuniary
support to enterprises of that character.
"With reference to industrial pursuits of a miscellaneous kind, the
Committee, besides promoting, to some extent, wood carving and weaving
at Jerusalem, have also expended various sums of money, and bestowed
much attention on the manufacture of tiles and bricks in Jerusalem;
and ultimately, in December 1884, they let the machinery and plant to
the authorities of the Rothschild School in the Holy City, for the
purpose of aiding deserving persons desirous of being taught the art of
brick or tile making. They have reason to anticipate very satisfactory
results from promoting in this manner the manufacture of articles
likely to come into general use in the East.
"The Committee further state the important fact that, since May 1880,
no expenses whatever of management have been incurred beyond the salary
of their agent at Jerusalem."
In addition to the above particulars, I am enabled to state, by the
information I received on February 21st, 1887, from the present
treasurer, that in round numbers the Committee have spent £6200 on 160
houses and buildings, the best of the kind in the Holy Land, and that
they have now a little over £2000 left.
Since the matter has been with him (1882) not one penny has been spent
in office expenses. Until last year they paid their agent in the Holy
Land £200 a-year, but this has now been reduced to £100 a-year.
They are spending about £360 in erecting fences round the centre
buildings, reserved as the present property of the Committee of the
Testimonial Fund.
It would, undoubtedly, have been a cause of much satisfaction to
Sir Moses to have seen some encouragement given to agricultural
undertakings, even on a small scale, but the Committee not feeling
justified in adopting this course, he expressed his appreciation of
their decision with gratitude.
In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Committee (February 28th,
1876), he says: "Conjointly with other well-wishers of Zion, I fully
appreciate their labours, as well as their frequent sacrifices of
valuable time and convenience to the hallowed cause of religion. May
they all, I fervently pray to Heaven, reap the high reward vouchsafed
unto those who seek to establish peace and happiness in the city of the
Lord, and may they become living witnesses of the speedy restoration of
Zion to its former effulgent glory."
However, after his return from Jerusalem, a meeting was held on the
15th of December 1875, by the Palestine Society, as a preliminary to
the formation of a Palestine Colonization Fund, at which, in conformity
with a resolution proposed by Mr Jacob Montefiore, it was agreed
that a deputation of members of the society and friends of the cause
of Palestine should wait on the Turkish Ambassador. Accordingly, on
Tuesday, December 21st, by special appointment, a number of gentlemen
represented to his Excellency the growing desire in this country to
promote the colonisation of Syria and Palestine by persons of good
character (more especially Jews), willing to devote themselves to
agriculture and industry, in response to the invitation put forward
a few years ago by the Turkish Government. Pointing out the great
financial improvement likely to result from such utilization of waste
lands, the deputation asked if the conditions originally offered to
foreign settlers by the Ottoman Government, together with the various
firmans published from time to time for the benefit of the subjects of
His Majesty the Sultan, would now be applicable to foreign immigrants.
His Excellency pointed out in reply, that foreigners were at liberty
to purchase land or other property in any part of Turkey, and to
remain under the protection of their own Consuls; or they might take
advantage of the offers of the Turkish Government, and receive grants
of land, becoming amenable to Turkish law, and in all respects being
Turkish subjects. His Excellency added that the Ottoman Government
had taken great trouble to promulgate these conditions, which, he
regretted to say, had not as yet been responded to. The principal
points in these conditions are, that the settlers are exempt from all
taxes, territorial or personal, for twelve years; they are exempt also
from military service, but pay the tax in lieu thereof after twelve
years. After twenty years they acquire a title to their lands, and
are at liberty to dispose of them as they please. By the recent "Hát"
(firman), the Ambassador said, the following privileges are secured:
the power of electing judicial and administrative bodies, the power of
electing the collectors of tithes, freedom to religious communities to
control their own affairs, and free power of holding and bequeathing
property.
The names of the members of the deputation, and of those noblemen
and gentlemen who, not attending, signified their cordial sympathy
and approval, revived in Sir Moses the hope that, notwithstanding
the present disinclination of the Testimonial Committee to encourage
agriculture, the time might yet arrive when they would gladly avail
themselves of a favourable opportunity to promote his long cherished
scheme.
The Diary of 1876 contains but very few entries. He complains of being
weak and unwell, but his indisposition does not prevent him from seeing
friends and attending to all his correspondence, which increased daily.
He was occasionally present at Divine service in the Synagogue, and at
the lectures delivered in the College, and often contemplated having a
telephone between these two sacred buildings and his own chamber, so
as to enable him to join the congregation in prayer, and listen to the
lectures, when prevented by illness from leaving his couch.
He took his regular drives whenever the weather was favourable, enjoyed
the fine view of the sea when in his room, telling the friends who
happened to be with him of the approach of a vessel long before they
were able to see it, and never failing to have at least two of the
principal daily papers read to him.
_June 17th._--The reader will probably remember that in the year 1874
Sir Moses requested Mrs Tait to sit for her bust, to be placed in the
Orphanage of St Peter's. It was now unveiled on the occasion of the
opening, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, of a new convalescent home in
connection with the St Peter's Orphanage. The ceremony was performed by
Dr Loewe in the name of Sir Moses Montefiore, who sent a cheque for one
hundred guineas to the Archbishop for the institution.
His Grace acknowledged, on the part of Mrs Tait and the friends of
the institution, in feeling language the compliment which had been
paid to Mrs Tait and himself, and passed a high eulogy on the general
benevolence and kind-heartedness of Sir Moses, wishing him in his old
age all the blessings which God could endow him with.
Sir Moses' absence was deeply regretted by all present; unfortunately
indisposition prevented his joining the numerous assembly. I give a
copy of the letter he addressed to Mrs Tait on that occasion:--
"MY DEAR AND ESTEEMED MRS TAIT,--I sincerely thank you for your and
his Grace's invitation to be present at the ceremony of the 8th inst.
I feel I cannot promise myself that happiness. Nothing, however, but
want of health would prevent my enjoyment of that gratification.
"May you and his Grace live many years to witness the good effect of
your admirable institution, which is so calculated to afford relief
to the destitute and suffering. I hope you will allow me the pleasure
of adding the amount of the two enclosed cheques to its funds, one in
the name of my beloved wife, and one in my own.
"With my profound respects to yourself and the Archbishop, and kind
regards to your amiable family.--I am, most truly yours,
"MOSES MONTEFIORE."
The Archbishop sent the following letter in reply:--
"STONEHOUSE, ST PETER'S, THANET, _June 12, 1876_.
"MY DEAR SIR MOSES,--I must not delay longer to thank you very
heartily for the pleasure you gave to Mrs Tait and myself and our
girls and my son, not to mention all connected with St Peter's Home,
by the kind present which was unveiled last Thursday.
"We regretted your own absence, but Dr Loewe kindly and efficiently
represented you. Mr Weekes unfortunately was not present, but all
admired the excellent way in which the bust was finished, and I hope
you will assure him of our thanks.
"Your generous donation in your own name and in that of her who is
so dear to you, came most opportunely to complete the payments for
the new building, which, I trust, with your kind help thus given, and
that of other friends, may long be a blessing to the suffering.
"I trust by God's blessing that your health continues good, and that
the summer weather is favourable to your restoration.
"With kind regards from all our party here, and from my son, who is
in London.--I am, my dear Sir Moses, ever yours sincerely,
"A.C. CANTUAR."
The year 1877 was charged with serious events, which fully engaged his
attention.
Being informed in the month of January of the great distress then
prevailing among the Turkish soldiers in consequence of the war in
Bulgaria, and the great political changes following to the death of the
Sultan Abdul Aziz, Sir Moses forwarded a generous donation, in aid of
the sufferers, to the Ambassador of the Sublime Porte in London.
A few days later he communicated to the Board of Deputies the sad
intelligence he had received, that in the villages of the district of
Vaslui, Moldavia, three hundred Jewish families had been robbed of the
greater portion of their effects, and driven from their homes by order
of the Prefect. The Board, on having the facts verified, sought the
intervention of the British Government, which was immediately accorded,
the result being that the Prefect and three of his sub-prefects were
superseded.
To relieve the sufferers in their distress, Sir Moses and Baron Lionel
de Rothschild transmitted generous donations to the scene of trouble.
The Board of Deputies also organised a fund for the relief of the
sufferers, and remitted a considerable portion of the amount collected,
by telegram, for distribution among the refugees.
_February 1st._--He received a letter from his Excellency Musurus
Pasha, conveying to him assurances of the favourable intentions of His
Majesty the new Sultan, Abdul Hamid II., towards his Hebrew subjects.
"MY DEAR SIR MOSES,"--(the Ambassador writes, under the date of 17th
February 1877)--"According to the intention which I expressed to you
in my letter of the 4th ultimo, I communicated to the Sublime Porte a
copy of the letter which you did me the honour to address me on the
1st ultimo, and I have now received the instructions of the Imperial
Government to return you its thanks for your generous donation to the
fund for the relief of suffering among the Turkish soldiers, and for
the good feeling expressed in your letter, and to assure you, at the
same time, that the solicitude of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan
will be always extended to the Israelites equally with the other
communities of the empire.--Believe me, dear Sir Moses, yours most
sincerely,
"MUSURUS."
The Sultan has kept his word up to this day, and there is every reason
to hope he will continue to do so. Some of the Jews under his rule fill
high offices of State, others are employed as professors in Government
schools, and all enjoy the same privileges as other subjects of his
empire.
_April 14th._--Sir Moses received a letter from the Secretary of the
Board, in which a desire was expressed to ascertain his views as to
the best mode of dealing with certain matters referred to in a letter
addressed to the Board, referring to the ill-treatment of the Jews in
Fez.
"I have received," he replied, "a communication from Mr A. C., of
Mogador, containing complaints similar to those to which you allude,
and my reply to him was that the letter which the Jewish community of
Mogador had received from the Prime Minister in the name of the Sultan,
appeared to me a striking proof of the Sultan's intentions to afford
justice to every one of his Jewish subjects.
"In the letter Mr A. C. has addressed to me, he states that they had
appealed to the Sultan, who, in reply to their petition, promised to
personally investigate the nature of their complaint, and moreover
added that he would in no instance suffer any injustice to be done to
any of his subjects.
"I forwarded," Sir Moses writes, "to Mr C. a copy of a letter which I
had addressed to all the Jewish communities in the Barbary State on
my return from Morocco in the year 1864, advising them to act on all
occasions in strict accordance with the suggestions therein given. If
you refer to other acts of ill-treatment at the hands of the Moslems of
which the Jews have to complain in Morocco, then I say, if the Board
of Deputies should deem it proper to entrust me with a Mission to the
Sultan, I shall regard the confidence they would thus repose in me as a
high compliment, and should be ready to start at a moment's notice."