Rev A Brandram
Glasgow, 4th Oct. 1845
My Dear Friend,
I am moving about and about in this great city, and perhaps some good may follow, if not immediately, more remotely. I have also from this as a centre point been visiting several places in the neighbourhood. Of these movements I intend giving you a more particular account in due time. My present object in writing is respecting China. I enclose you a letter for Singapore which I obtained from a friend of Mr John Henderson's, in conformity with Mr Browne's note of the 2nd ultimo. I hope you will find it useful, and I may perhaps obtain one or more similar letters before I leave Glasgow.
But my main object in writing at present is in regard to a communication I had today bearing much on Bible operations in China. Mr. W. P. Paton in this city has just received a letter from one of the Missionaries in China, in which he informs him, that he and his fellow Missionaries are getting on slowly with the Revision of the Chinese Scriptures, and that slowness he says is owing to a disconfidence about you printing what you they revise, for (from what I could gather from what was read to me) you have distinctly stated to the Missionaries that you will not pledge yourselves for printing their Revision when ready. Mr. Paton's correspondent greatly laments this, and clearly signifies how much the progress of the work is thus retarded. I confess I was a good deal surprised to hear these statements, as I always thought you were urging on the Missionaries with every encouragement in this so great a work, whereas it seems you are doing the very reverse. It is only a few hours since I learned what I have here stated. But I would not by any means lose a post in communicating the same to you, and more especially as Monday is Committee day. I consider the subject very grave and shall be glad to hear from you regarding it, say by Tuesday's post.
I remain, My Dear Friend,
Ever Truly Yours,
James Thomson.