מכתביהן של אלמנות יהודיים שהועסקו בשירות הדיפלומטי-אליעזר בשן
פרופסור אליעזר בשן הי"ו
תעודה מס׳ 1
Nov[ember] 9, 1885
Draft
Sir J. D. Hay Tangier
I transmit to you herewith a letter and its inc[losures] which have been rec[eived] from Mr Sangero, widow of a late servant of the British V[ice] Consul at Rabat with regard to the settlement of certain claims of her late husband, and I have to request that you will furnish a report on the matter.
[FO 99/223]
תעודה מס׳ 2
Extract of a letter from British Vice Consul at Rabat to Sir John Drummond Hay, dated December 13,1885
I have received your letter of the 23d ultimo, relative to the petition which has been forewarded to the Foreign Office by the widow of the late Samuel Sangero, who was formerly employed in this Vice Consulate.
On searching the archives of this Vice Consulate, I have found the enclosed 16 documents which appear to relate to debts owing to Sanjero. The debtors I believe are long since dead and I should think the recovery of my part of these debts hopeless. Mulay Hamed, the Sultans uncle, for whose alleged debt I can find only the enclosed memorandum, is I hear now in Egypt.
I am
(signed) John Frost
תעודה מס׳ 3
Tangier December] 21 1885
His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs My Lord,
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Lordship's despatch N° 11 Consular of 9th ultimo, transmitting a letter and its enclosures which have been addressed to Your Lordship by the widow of a Moorish Jew. who had been in the service of several British Vice Consuls at Rabat, with regard to the claims of her late husband and directing me to furnish a report on this matter. On a reference to the Archives in this legation I have not been able to find on record any note, or other communication, addressed to this Government regarding Sanjero's claims, but I have some recollections that during a visit to the Moorish Court in 1861, I had brought forward Sanjero's claim against a brother of the late Sultan. Mulay Hamed, who was half witted, and that the Sultan had replied that, as repeated warnings had been given that His Shereefian Majesty would not be responsible for debts incurred by Mulay Hamed, the claim could not be entertained. The matter was then stopped, and I have no recollection of my further step having since been taken regarding the late Sanjero's claims.
In pursuance of instructions I had given to Vice Consul Frost, when he touched at Tangier this month on his return to Rabat, he has transmitted a bundle containing 17 Arabic Documents regarding moneys owen to Sanjero… These papers appear to have been deposited at the Vice Consulate in 1866.
Mr Frost observes in letter of which I enclosure an extract, that the debtors "he believes are long since dead" and that he thinks "the recovery of any part of the debts hopeless". Mulay Hamed, he has heard, is now residing in Egypt.
I have no recollection of these claims except that against the brother of the late Sultan, having been brought by me under the notice of this Government. I concur with Mr Frost in thinking, that it is hopeless to expect that these old debts can be recovered, and I consider that no beneficial insult would ensue if I was to move again in this matter.
Claims of the British Subjects are the source of endless trouble and correspondence, and the greatest difficulty is experienced in obtaining settlement. If the claims of widows and families of the defunct servants of consular officers are also to be pressed on the notice of this government, it would give rise to vexations, questions and much embarassment.)
With reference to that passage in Mrs Sanjero's petition, where she states that she was driven from the door of this Legation, by the soldiers and Interpreter, I have enquired of these persons whether they had done so. They assured me they had not, but one of the Interpreters informs me that some months ago I had told him to say to Mrs Sanjero it was to be regretted that nothing could be done for her. I have no recollection of her ever having applied to me for the restitution of her papers, nor was I aware of their having been deposited at the Vice Consulate at Rabat, until a few months since, when Captain Rolleston spoke to Her Majesty's Consul on the subject, and I was informed that as Mr Frost was absent on leave, it was necessary to wait until his return, when he would be directed to search the Archives for the missing documents.
(Captain Rolleston, to whom it would appear she had appealed for support, is a humanitarian who occupies himself in taking up the cases of Moorish Subjects who apply to him to intervene in their behalf at Foreign Legation or consulates to obtain redress. His motives are praiseworthy, but his intervention in cases of litigation at Foreign Legations has given rise to complaints both on the part of this Government and of Foreign representatives.)
I have caused to be delivered to Mr Sanjero the 17 Documents, for which a receipt will be taken, and she has been informed that without directions from Her Majesty's Government, I do not feel authorized to take any step regarding these claims, and that even if I did so I felt pursuaded it would lead to no beneficial result.
I have the honor to be with the highest respect My Lord
your Lordship's most obedient very humble servant J. D. Drummond Hay Her husband was not in the service of H. M.s Go[vernment] but only the
v[ice] Consul's Servant