, 1885-08-29


wNeealthiest families in the City. His bro
Their Abraham, his partner in business Oh
the Stock Exchange, married as his Sc
cond wife, Henrietta, sister OF Mr.. N. NJ.
Rothschild, who himself was married TO
Hannah. sister of Lady M0ntefiOre. The
early part of the century. during the pro
gress of the great Continental wars, was
an extraordinary period OF speculation.
Moses MontefiOre, however, never went
deeply into this class OF business, and he
retired from the Stock Exchange shortly
after reaching his fortieth year, content
with the sufficient fortune he had then
realised. His brother Abraham died mucn
more wealthy. Although thus retiring
early from business, so as to ENJOY Ill peace
his later years, Moses MOnteiOre continued
to be closely associated with several great
companies, Of which he was one of the
founders. He was the first president Of
the Alliance British and Foreign Life In
surance Company established in lS24)
and of the Alliance Marine Assurance
Company formed in the same year, but
registered as u limited company III 1881.
The Guardian Company and the Imperial
Continental Gas Association were also
practically his creations. Besides these
ho waS associated with many other com.
mercial undertakings, and his advice and
Sagacity were eagerly sought Tor. But IL
is not the business career alone, highly
honourable and honoured though it was,
that has excited the admiration OF his
countrymem; it is his prolonged, his uu.
wearied, and his successful Efforts III the
cause Of freedom and liberation. HIS llfe
marks an epoch in the life OF his country
and his race. When he began his crusade,
jews in all countries were oppressed III
NV hVn.N1AF
many they were prosecuted. NOW among
all civiliSel nations they are entitled 20
equal rights aad liberties with all other
classes Of their cmntrym9n. This great
Change is due more TO Moses MOnteh0re
than to auy otlUr individual. 1t was in
the year 1927 tlllt he paid his first memo
rable visit to Jerusalem, along with his
wife, and the events which he witnessed
c3loured and Influenced the whole OF his
future life. As the plague was raging III
the sacred city they remained there "Ily u
fortnight, but lon enough to witness Win
Indignation the terrible oppression to which
their unhappy 60 religioniStS were subject.
ed. Again and again they returned, ana
steadily lab0ured in the good cause, until
at length some CLEANS Ot success began 10
crown their efforts. Through British lntu'
ence the condition of the Jews in Palestine
was greatly improved by the charity OF
the West their social circumstances were
entirely altered-SchpOlS were established,
water supplies introduced, agriculture toS
tered, dwellings improved, and, above all,
the horrid prosecutions, even unto deafh,
t. which they had long been subjected
were brought to " close. All this was due
to the undauntcd courage and pertinaclOuS
industry Of Moses Monteiore. He agltat.
I'd and directed at home interviewed
pashaS and v~iceroyS, czars aud SultanS
abroad; never relaxing his determination
until his end WAS achieved. Even yet
much remains to be done for the people
of Palestine, but the change brought about
by the influence of one man Is almost I'M
precedented in the history OF nations
Specially valuable were his services III
connection with the Damascus affair IN
1910 and that in Morocco in 1864. In the
former city the Jews had been falsely ac.
cuSed of various offences, and many OF
them were tortured. Sir Moses Montehore
proceeded to ConstantlnOple, and induced
the Sultan to issue an edict refutlng the
Islander and making it penal to bring such
charges against the race i'll future. SINH
lArly Sir Moses at the age Of Seventy-nlne
crossed the desert to the Moorish capital,
and interviewed the Sultan so successfully
that comparative immunity from oppreS'
sion has since been enjoyed by the Moorish
Jews. Other countries in which similar
prosecutions were OF almost constant &C.
l.. kI, htIn ~