QUESTION. (Hansard, 4 March 1864)

§ MR. LAYARD

Sir, in answer to my hon. Friend I have to state that Her Majesty's Government yesterday received despatches from Her Majesty's Minister at Morocco, giving an account of the mission of Sir Moses Montefiore, and of his return with a copy of the firman granted to him by the Sultan of Morocco. It is known that last year considerable cruelties were inflicted upon the Jews at Saffi, and that Sir Moses Montefiore desired to go out to Morocco, if possible to obtain justice for the sufferers. The Foreign Office felt the greatest sympathy for his mission, and did all they could by letters of introduction and recommendations to forward it. We have every reason to believe that those cruelties were not committed by any order of the Sultan, who, according to all accounts, is a very liberal, humane, and enlightened sovereign. Sir Moses Montefiore went to Tangiers, and there succeeded in getting the Jews released from prison, but, not satisfied with that, he undertook a journey to the capital of Morocco. When we consider how arduous and perilous a journey that is, and that a 1455 man of Sir Moses Montefiore's age, and I fear I must add infirmities, undertook that journey, we must admit that the highest credit is due to him for doing so. After going through many difficulties and much exposure he arrived at the capital and presented a petition to the Sultan, and I feel bound to add that the petition was not confined to the relief of those of his own faith, but extended to all the subjects of the Sultan who were not of the Mahommedan race. The Sultan acted with great generosity and humanity, and granted a firman to Sir Moses Montefiore, in which are these words, which show something of the exaggerated style of Oriental documents— In the Courts of Law the Jews shall occupy a position of perfect equality with all other members of the community, so that not even a fractional portion of the smallest imaginable particle of injustice shall reach any one of them. I trust that that is perfectly satisfactory; and when we remember that there are no less than 500,000 Jews in Morocco, the great services rendered by Sir Moses Montefiore must be apparent to all. Having had the honour of acting with Sir Moses Montefiore on various occasions, I can bear my testimony to the noble and generous spirit of humanity and philanthropy which ever animates him, and which has no reference to sect or creed, but is extended to all persons, whoever they may be, who are suffering wrong or injustice.