Robert Tomlinson Statement of the Case to Church Missionary Society 1880
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[1] Statement of the case
[2] For some years prior to the Society’s deciding
[3] to open a mission among the Kitiksheans
[4] I had made tours among those tribes both by
[5] summer and winter. These were not merely
[6] missionary journeys to preach the Gospel
[7] but that I might become acquainted with
[8] the needs of these poor people and how best
[9] they might be supplied. The last but one
[10] of these itinerations was made in Company of
[11] Br[other] Collison with the special object of
[12] seeking for a site for a central station if
[13] a mission were to be established among them.
[14] In a letter to the Secretaries of the Society dated
[15] Feb. 4, 1878. I laid the whole matter
[16] before them. In due time I received the
[17] Committees approval of the plan upon which
[18] I proposed to start and carry on a mission
[19] among the Kitiksheans. There remain nothing
[20] further but to move inland and endeavour to
[21] carry out vigourously the plans laid down, which
[22] accordingly I did.
[23] B[isho]p Ridley arrived at Metlakahtla last
[24] Autumn. I had no opportunity of meeting
[25] him till the following spring. Meanwhile
[26] no communication of any kind passed between
[27] us.
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[1] We met for the first time in March last. I
[2] found he had no sympathy with my plans
[3] of carrying on the work. At the same time he
[4] assumed no authority to interfere with them
[5] and as nothing he had urged tended to
[6] lessen my confidence in their attainable
[7] success, I determined to give them a fair
[8] trial. In the beginning of June we were
[9] favoured with a short visit from the Bishop at
[10] Ankihtlast. Here again while he made
[11] no secret of his disapproval of my schemes
[12] he never even hinted that he had received
[13] authority from the Committee to make a change.
[14] It was therefore not without surprise that just
[15] two months later I received the accompanying
[16] letter marked A. In this letter he seems to me
[17] to claim that the Committee have entrusted
[18] him with the authority to 1st change the whole
[19] character of the mission to the Kitiksheans even in
[20] those matters which have already met with
[21] approval of the Committee. 2nd to move the
[22] missionaries to any place at any
[23] time he may think best. 3rd to direct the
[24] missionary as to what portion of his duties
[25] as a missionary he will leave in abeyance and
[26] how he will carry on what he takes up.
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[1] 4th to concoct a scheme and without awaiting
[2] the approval of the Committee or consulting
[3] the missionary in charge to compel him
[4] to adopt this scheme or be cut off from
[5] the Society. Such are the clauses put forward
[6] moreover as you will see by the letter no opportunity
[7] of consulting the wishes of the Committee
[8] was afforded me. I had then but a choice of
[9] three courses. To comply implicitly
[10] with the B[isho]ps terms. To respectfully inform
[11] the B[isho]p that I must await the consent
[12] of the Committee before I could leave my
[13] post at Ankihtlast. To bring the matter
[14] personally before the committee.
[15] To have immediately complied with the
[16] terms of the B[isho]ps letter. I must have knowingly
[17] exposed the Society to considerable pecuniary
[18] loss by abandoning their property and I must
[19] voluntarily alter the mutual relations in which
[20] the committee and I have stood to one another
[21] ever since I joined the Society and that
[22] too without knowing whether the Committee
[23] called for such a change.
[24] From the appended Copy of the B[isho]ps letter
[25] to Mr. Collison (marked B) you will see that
[26] the B[isho]p had made arrangements for immediate
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[1] action. So that had decided to reamain at
[2] my post until the decision of the Committee
[3] reached me I must have proved a hindrance
[4] to and perhaps come in collision with a
[5] dear brother missionary or perhaps even
[6] the B[isho]p himself. which at any time would
[7] be most deplorable but especially among
[8] the poor heathen.
[9] By appearing ^in^ person before the
[10] Committee I feel that much time will
[11] be saved. The chance of personal feeling
[12] and side issues being mixed into with
[13] the matter prevented and an
[14] opportunity afforded the committee
[15] afforded the committee of examining
[16] me and the scheme of action I proposed
[17] and deciding whether that scheme
[18] approves itself to them and if they
[19] consider me the proper person to be
[20] entrusted to carry it out.
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[1] Two distinct points are here raised for the
[2] consideration of the Committee.
[3] The first. which affect the missionaries not only
[4] in the North Pacific Mission but of all those missions
[5] of any diocese where the B[isho]p is an appointee
[6] of the Society. How far the Committee are
[7] prepared to get delegate their powers as to
[8] Missionaries. their station. and the mode
[9] of carrying on their missionary work. to a
[10] B[isho]p who draws his salary from the Society‘s
[11] funds and so may be presumed to be
[12] somewhat under their control.
[13] The second. which is special reference to
[14] the Kitikshean Mission. Do the committee
[15] wish the scheme initiated and so successfully carried
[16] out by Br[other] Duncan at Metlakahtla to be extended
[17] to the Kitiksheans as only one of all those
[18] which has been proposed and attempted in
[19] the province of British Columbia which has
[20] stood the test of time and called forth the
[21] admiration of men of every creed or are they
[22] prepared with B[isho]p Ridley to condemn that
[23] scheme. as a bar to the inter-mingling of
[24] Whites and Indians. as opening a door for
[25] other sects (such as the Methodist) to establish missions
[26] among the same tribes. as making the Nations
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[1] too independent minded of the missionary
[2] especially in religious matters. As involving
[3] the missionaries in secular pursuits thereby
[4] giving occasion for our friendly comments
[5] on their work.
[6] The importance of the decision in this
[7] matter cannot be overrated as to the effect
[8] it is likely to have upon the progress or
[9] otherwise of that mission.
[10] The B[isho]p feels every confidence in the success
[11] of his plans and if they meet with the
[12] approval of the Committee will be no doubt
[13] prosecute to them in the most rigourous way.
[14] For my own part I feel that the introduction
[15] of such a scheme will be the death blows
[16] to the permanent success of the missions.
[17] On my way I had an opportunity of consulting
[18] with Br[other] Duncan and the satisfaction of knowing
[19] that the step I had taken met with his approval.
[20] One of the last things he said to me was. Tell the
[21] Committee that I feel as fully persuaded now
[22] as I did on the day we moved to Metlakahtla that
[23] to effect any permanent good among these
[24] Indians you must draw them from their
[25] hidden homes to a Christian Center.
