Letter Robert Tomlinson to Mr. Wigram of the Church Missionary Society 14 January 1881
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[1] Salisbury Square
[2] January 14/81
[3] Dear Mr. Wigram
[4] With regard to the Telegram received from the
[5] Secretaries on the 6th instant and the instructions therein
[6] contained allow me to say. That neither of the letters
[7] referred to in contain instructions sufficiently definite
[8] (so it seems to me at least) with regard to the land to
[9] be acquired, as to enable me to act on them while
[10] in Victoria. That the idea of referring the matter
[11] to the local conference, though discussed by the Subcommittee
[12] at one of their sittings was rejected by them and no
[13] reference is made to it in their report.
[14] To have to await any decision of a local conference
[15] which cannot possibly meet before the end of May, would
[16] most probably necessitate my visiting Victoria at the Summer
[17] and call me away from my mission for two months
[18] or more. besides the expense. But apart from this
[19] consideration to refer to a local committee a subject
[20] which embraces the whole object of my coming home
[21] would stultify my own act and nullify the
[22] approval given by the committee to that act.
[23] The extraordinary and severalfaceted action
[24] of B[isho]p Ridley left only two courses open to me
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[1] 1st to have the matter taken up on the spot which could
[2] not have been done without such bitterness and perhaps
[3] dissentions and divisions in the mission. or To refer
[4] the matter home and have it decided upon finally.
[5] Can I go out there now and deliberately open
[6] up the subject and at the same time expect that
[7] there will not be a clash? Certainly not. I hardly
[8] think such a course possible without causing the
[9] very worst results. Again the delay necessary
[10] before a decision of the conference could be obtained
[11] would prevent all agricultural operations for
[12] another year and must also hinder me from
[13] consummating or ending the temporary arrangement
[14] between Mr. Woods and myself.
[15] In what I have said I do not wish it to be
[16] understood that I have any wish to curtail
[17] any the local conference or that I presume to
[18] consider myself or the affairs of the station to
[19] which I am attached as beyond the operations
[20] of the conference but the conference has not had
[21] the matter before it at all. in fact. the conference
[22] has yet to be formed. Once the matters now
[23] brought before the home committee are decided upon
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[1] I will feel it to be my duty to refer any further matter
[2] needing to be discussed to the conference and abide
[3] by its decision unless overruled by the home Committee.
[4] My letter of the 16th of Dec is intended to shew how
[5] the difficulty has arisen and to suggest ways of
[6] meeting that difficulty. It may be that another
[7] way of meeting it can be devised by the Committee
[8] If so I will only be too happy to accept it, at
[9] the same time I would wish most respectfully
[10] to say that no scheme which would leave the
[11] matter or any part of it now under consideration, to
[12] be discussed by the local committee can be
[13] accepted by me. In saying this, I fee, I
[14] am only asking that the decision of the Committee
[15] communicated to me last November should
[16] be carried out and I also feel that I am
[17] speaking in the best interest of the Mission
[18] generally.
[19] Believe me
[20] Yours most Respectfully and Sincerely
[21] Robt Tomlinson
