WCP3438

[1]

Victoria, British Columbia

3 March 1880.

A. R. Wallace Esq. F.R.G.S.

Waldron Edge, Duppas Hill,

Croydon. — England.

Dear Sir,

Myself an inquirer into the phenomena of Modern Spiritualism, I have known of you, as such, for some ten years past, and indeed as a "Wallace Weight", in the fearless and able advocacy of unpopular truths; and the hammering of Carpenter¹, on whom I will waste ^bestow no reprobatory adjectives.—

I have also perused your article in Macmillan on the utilization, after disestablishment, of the assets of the Church of England; and, with the greatest satisfaction. as [sic] it accords with long entertained views of my own,— your paper on Reciprocity, in the "Nineteenth Century" reprinted in a New York weekly called "the Century". Of the number containing your essay I have a copy.—

Having for some seven years past felt strongly in favor of Imperial federation or consolidation of the British Empire, a part of which consummation would be the rendering of home rule stingless, I have many times thought of venturing to suggest to you the preparing of an article on the subject for one of the reviews, provided you think [2] that such a course would best tend to the moral and material welfare and progress of all concerned. Having for twenty one years consequent^cutively lived on this island now federated with Canada, and having first left the old country for this coast in 1832 I, tho’ still strongly attached to the sol natale, feel much, as an emigrant and a Canadian.—

It has to me seemed that nothing short of fair representation in an Imperial Parliament would satisfy colonists desirous of closer or federal connection with the United Kingdom, they of course bearing a reasonable share of the burthens [sic] incident to such a condition.—

The overworked House of Commons of today, laggard every session in passing or ^even considering of ^many bills, and that is encumbered with much that could be better and more intelligently be dealt with ⁱⁿ a Scottish Irish or purely English parliament would be quite unable, in case of consolidation of the Empire, to give requisite attention to colonial matters. Hence local parliaments for each of the the three ancient kingdoms, united fas aut nefas early in the century would come to be necessary— But to stifle home rule demagogues in all efforts at disintegration, the United Kingdom might — for electoral and legislative purposes only, and the latter duly restricted to defined local purposes concerns — [illeg.] undergo tripartition into three numerically [3] equally divisions to be named South Britain North Britain and West Britain— The second would obtain its increase of voting population from Northern Anglia, and the third from Western Anglia and Scotia so as more completely to unify the, on parchment, United Kingdom—In South Britain, exclusive of London, there will be choice of sites for the meeting of its parliament.— Auld Reekie would of course be the place for North Britain as would Dublin for West Britain— I have submitted this scheme to several home-rule intelligent Irishmen who have approved of it.—Seven years ago I sent it in detail to E. Jenkins² M.P. for Dundee who through his secretary replied that he thought its promulgation in any manner premature— Two years and more ago I sent to Mr. Gladstone³, then just returned from a tour in Ireland, but have had no acknowledgement from him— A few days ago, I transmitted it in a formal way to Earl Beaconsfield⁴ who I sometimes think, may, if long enough in power, make a beginning with B. N. america, of confederating the Empire, the crowning work of his surprising career as politician and statesman— In the Canadian Monthly, and in the Dundee Advertiser two years ago I ^{over a} nom de plume ventilated the idea — Mr. Leng⁵ editor of the latter, who had been here some months previously, wrote in acknowledgement of mine that he thought the Irish agitations would be the first to declaim against such Home rule. No discredit to the proposal, I opine.—

The difficulties in the way are many I know. There may be others I have not thought out. To one like yourself at home and watching political events it will be much more easy to fathom the relative importance of the difficulties, and to judge when the public attention should, if at all, be drawn to this way amongst others of rendering the home Irish contented, and their brethren in the United States less disposed to Fenianism, whenever England’s difficulty loom up— In 1877, on the imminence of war with Russia, the papers of Portland Oregon U.S.A., some two hundred miles, and three days travel, oft reported with perfect [4] perfect [sic] sang froid of preparations by the Fenians of that city for the invasion and conquest of British Columbia!! It is pleasing to notice that Parnell’s⁶ reception in the States has to Fenians been disappointing.— Ever since the Alabama settlement American feeling towards the U. Kingdom has been improving— I had that impressed on me when a guest at the Centennial Celebration at Portland O[rego]n in July 1876—

I am known to Sir Joseph Hooker⁷ of Kew, and in 1869 and later, after perusal of his address in 1868 to the British Association, noticing that he was a man of progress I corresponded with him for some time. He had no relish for spiritualism about which in those my neophyte days I was more effusive than of late— He gave me the agnostic creed, good if these were no better, and spoke of yours if as known by him, and of Tyndall⁸ and Huxley⁹ as his friends and coadjutors— Up to 1832 I knew Hooker as a sprightly bright boy, who used to accompany his father on botanical excursions— I was a medical student, and through Sir W[illia]m Hooker’s¹⁰ kind recommendation was appointed surgeon and clerk to the Hudson Bay Company, from whose service I retired in 1870.— My early experiences in Spiritualism [5] involved a deception lasting for several months, my second son in his sixteenth year being the entranced writing medium.— A mother was told of the death of her eldest and grown up son, in a town in the United States, the name of the attending physician and the inscription on the gravestone were given—This deception was also kept up at séances elsewhere in Victoria— I live two miles out of town— Of my children eight are grown up, and none of them care for Spiritualism owing to the deception coming from intelligences outside of ourselves— Another cause probably is the frivolity of young people, and their too frequent indisposition to regard serious things seriously. Notwithstanding Mrs Corner’s¹¹ lapse from good faith lately in London, which is perplexing, and others elsewhere I owe to Spiritualism a strengthening of belief in Man’s improving future in another stage of being— In other things we are yet to "see through a glass darkly"— I have lately ^written to Mr Harrison¹² enclosing subscription for the Spiritualist and telling of my long experience last summer with the humbug Kenney¹³, Crowell’s¹⁴ medium in the preparation of his last book— Where money is to be made how rampant is imposture in many ways besides mediumship and magnetic healing— I hope you will kindly reply to this, and tell me if you know how Mr Tyndall took the severe castigation he had from Epes Sargent¹⁵. T. as far as I know, tho’ generally so flippant, has made no reply to Sergeant [sic].

With genuine respect, I am dear Sir | Faithfully Yours | W. F. Tolmie [signature]