WCP2587

[1]¹

BIRCHFIELD,

BIRMINGHAM.

Feb[rua]ry 20th 1880

My Dear M^r. Wallace.

The trustees of Mason’s Coll[ege]²: [sic] have just decided not to elect a librarian or registrar. M^r. Allport³ who was appointed Curator about a month before you wrote has consented to assist M^r. Johnson⁴ the solicitor & one of the trustees in carrying out for the present these duties. This is a measure of economy — the fact is the trustees have been disappointed in the amount of the endowments — M^r. Mason⁵ originally intended to place much more money at their disposal for the purposes of [2] the College but he became engaged in the production of nickel by a new process & has locked up in this some £200,000 — This venture appears now to be turning out a success & as it will all be left to the College[,] in the long run all will be right — It has however had a cramping influence just now having caused the Professors[’] stipends to be reduced from £500 to £350 —

The trustees were favourably disposed towards to you and would have been glad to have availed themselves of the advantages wh[ich] you[r] great reputation as a naturalist would have conferred on the College; but they could [3]⁶ not see their way to the necessary funds —

You ask me if I still take an interest in Spiritualism — I do. An intense & abiding one — As a subject of study & research it is however very unsatisfactory — This is mainly due to the fact that man is the subject & cannot select his operator — In other [1 word illeg.] he is himself the controller & deviser — Very little will be done to elucidate the laws of the subject till by some chance a sensitive man of science becomes associated with a scientific operator — I do not know of a single well attested instance of a medium being controlled by a [4] spirit worthy to be compared with our average modern investigator — There is a great deal of pretension but a general breaking down when we come to close quarters —

I have tried for years to realize the necessary conditions for a proper study of the intermediate laws & I believe with some success —

I wish it had been your lot to come to live down here — Together we might have done something to push the matter forward. I am entirely alone not having among my acquaintances a single cultivated person who believes & to whom I can talk freely —

Spiritualism I think has no worse enemies than its

[5]⁷ professed friends — take the recent exposure of Mrs Corner⁸[.] Is it not inconceivable that such an exposure should be possible at the very head centre — surely they are old enough & have had experience enough in the thing to know its dangers and pitfalls and ought to have taken steps to avoid the possibility of such an event — It is no excuse to attribute the imposition to spirits — whether due to spirit or medium it is imposition & ought not to be tolerated — It seems to me that there [sic] dark séances should be given up altogether & that such [6] mediums as Home⁹ & Slade¹⁰ who can get phenomena in the broad light of day should should receive ^that continuous encouragement & support wh[ich] superiority can legitimately claim — If something of this kind is not done it is quite clear that persons who have reputation to gain & keep will withdraw themselves from all connection with the movement. In a conversation I had recently with Mr Crookes¹¹ he assurred me that nothing would now induce him to associate with the subject had he not already done so — This was said with a full recognition of the gigantic importance of the subject — This was before the exposure [7]¹² of his medium¹³ — What he would say now I cannot imagine but I do not think recent events would increase his respect for the average run of spiritualist — They have certainly allowed the value of his important testimony to be entirely nullified — We can no longer refer to his investigation without having this exposure thrown in our teeth —

With very kind regards | I remain | Yours faithfully | Richard Norris [signature]