Before leaving Paris he had an opportunity of seeing Monsieur E. de Valbesen, the French Consul, who had just arrived from Damascus. That gentleman, however, did not give Sir Moses the information which he had so much at heart, and which would have interested him most.
Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore now returned to Ramsgate for a few days' rest, and then proceeded to London, where Sir Moses, who had been appointed Chairman of the Fine Arts Section of the Great Exhibition, had many committee meetings to attend.
On January 20th they paid their first visit to the Exhibition, which was not nearly completed. In his zeal for the promotion of the welfare of the Holy City, and with the object of drawing the attention of the public to the superior talents of his co-religionists in Palestine, Sir Moses exhibited two beautiful vases executed by Mordechai Schnitzer of Jerusalem, and consented to the request of Messrs Mortimer & Hunt of New Bond Street to allow the silver testimonial (produced by them from a design of Sir George Hayter) presented to him and Lady Montefiore on their return from Damascus to be also shown.
At this time a Committee was appointed by Parliament to investigate the subject of divorce. Sir Moses, ever watchful, called on the Chairman, Dr Lushington, and requested him to afford the Chief Rabbi an opportunity of expressing an opinion on the subject, in the event of the interests of the Jews being in any way affected by the measure to be brought before Parliament. This Dr Lushington promised to do, adding that if any Bill were introduced he should recommend that the Jews be exempted therefrom. Sir Moses referred to Lord Lyndhurst's Act, but Dr Lushington gave it as his opinion that the Jews were not affected by it; upon which Sir Moses observed that the Registrar-General thought differently, and would not grant a certificate.
_March 4th._--A cry for help reached his ears from Suram in Georgia, a province of the Caucasus, the Hebrew community in that place having unfortunately been exposed to great suffering in consequence of an unfounded accusation brought against them. They now appealed to him to intercede in their behalf with the Russian Government. He lost no time in going to Baron Brunnow, who suggested that Sir Moses should write a letter to Prince Woronzow, the Governor-General of Georgia, and undertook to forward the same through Lady Pembroke. Sir Moses accordingly prepared an address to the Prince, which he submitted to the Count for his approval. The latter read it, and promised that he would himself write in support of the good cause. A few months later Sir Moses received a reply from Prince Woronzow (dated Tiflis, May 14), conveying to him the assurance that his request had been complied with, that the persecutions had ceased, and that the Jews had nothing more to complain of.