volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

300
An Action for Slander. Rassam v. Budge.
On December 31st, 1891, the Keepership of the
Department of Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities in
the British Museum became vacant on the retirement
of my immediate chief, Mr. (afterwards Sir) P. Le Page
Renouf, on his attaining the prescribed age, and the
Trustees appointed me Acting-Assistant Keeper, and
an Extra Assistant of the First Class. From the recommendations
of the Keeper, which were approved by
the Trustees, as already stated (see p. 290), and from
my promotion I naturally assumed that there was no
doubt about their entire satisfaction with my management
of the foregoing Missions which had been entrusted
to me. But afterwards rumours reached me from
time to time about the indignation and exasperation of
the native overseers in Baghdad who had been dismissed
by the Trustees in consequence of my report, and I
could not help seeing that there were people in this
country who, from one motive or another, sympathized
with them.^ However, this did not disturb me, as I
' The following questions and answers appeared in Hansard's
Parliamentary Debates (June 3rd, 1892, Ser. 4, vol. v, col. 556)
Mr. T. Dolling Bolton : I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury
if he could state to the House how many missions Mr. Budge has
undertaken to Mesopotamia, and what has been the cost of them
what antiquities he has brought back ; from whom did he purchase
them ; and where it is alleged they were discovered ?
Mr. A. J. Balfour : Mr. Budge has made more than one journey
to the East for the British Museum, the costs of which have been
defrayed out of a special grant. I hope the hon. gentleman will not
press for particulars on the subject, because I think that the utility
of any action Mr. Budge may take in the future will be considerably
impaired, to the great detriment of the Museum and of public learning
if his conduct were discussed in the House.
Mr. Bolton : May
I ask the right hon. gentleman whether he is
aware that grave doubts have been thrown on the researches of