volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

An Action for Slander. 301
was satisfied with the approbation of the authorities
under whom I served.
The native overseers and watchmen who had been
dismissed had been appointed by Mr. Hormuzd Rassam,
and he considered their dismissal a reflection on himself.
And his opinion was shared by Sir Henry Layard, on
whose recommendation he had been appointed by the
Trustees to be the chief overseer of their excavations
in Mesopotamia. Sir Henry also was disappointed with
the re-arrangement of the Assyrian sculptures which
he had acquired for the Museum, and complained that
the new "Guide" to the Collection did not give Mr. H.
Rassam sufficient credit for his share in their excavation.
He not only expressed his views in private, but wrote
a letter to The Times (July 27th, 1892, p. 8), which in due
course was answered by the Principal Librarian {The
Times, July 29th, p. 6), who pointed out that there-arrangement
was due to the necessity for providing space for
a lecture-room, and quoting passages in the " Guide " to
show that Mr. Rassam's services had not been underestimated.
In his reply to this, Sir Henry reiterated
his opinion and intimated that he wovdd not pursue
the subject further as it would be investigated shortly
in a Court of Law (The Times, August ist, p. 10). And
a few months later Mr. Rassam brought an action against
me for slander and claimed £1,000 as damages. Messrs.
Lewis and Lewis, my solicitors, wrote to the Trustees
in November, 1892, and suggested that the Treasury
be asked to defend the action. The Trustees were
of opinion that the slanders alleged to have been uttered
by me were uttered in my official capacity, and adopted
the suggestion. The Treasury declined to defend the
Mr. Budge, not only by those well qualified to speak on the question
in England, but also by learned Societies in Germany and other places
abroad ?
Mr. Balfour : I have every confidence in the judgment of the
experienced officials of the British Museum in this matter. I am not
well acquainted with the controversy to which the hon. member has
referred, but I do not think that any real ground for scepticism exists
in the minds of those who are competent to judge.