Linlithgow 3rd June 1845
My Dear Friend,
Your letter of the 29th ultimo has come into my hands this morning, via Edinh. and Stirling. From the latter place I wrote you a few lines on Saturday last which before this time no doubt you have. Things look better in Scotland, you perceive, and the enclosed hand bill will further prove to you this pleasing fact. We are to have a meeting here to night in order to form a Linlithgowshire B.S. in connexion with the B.F.B.S. There is no B.S. here at present of any kind, nor has there been for many years, so that the ground is quite free. On Thursday we have the Annual Meeting of the Stirlingshire B.S. and on the Friday we have a Ladies meeting. On Monday we have a meeting in Falkirk for forming a B.S. for the Eastern District of the County, and on Sunday I shall be in some place not yet fixed. On my way to Perth shall take in at least Alloa and Kinross. It will be therefore the end of the week or very near it before I get to Perth and Dundee, I mean of the week after this. If I said anything to the contrary in my last note this will cancel it & it must stand from engagements already on hand. No arrangements I think can be made in Perth and Dundee till I first be in these places.
I am glad you are so much pleased with our advertisement. A reply was absolutely required even on the part of our friends, as I have seen in many cases. All seemed pleased with our Defence, and most of the Edinh. B.S. members I have met with seem also pleased & are dissatisfied with the attack made. The headings noticed are not to be found in any edition of the Por. T. for I wrote to London on the subject. And did you observe the fine hook we have got over them in regard to the Edinh. Contin. Asson.?Jas & Robert Haldane, Mr. Ross and Mr. Goold besides two others are members of the Com. of that Asson. We have dropped our tract. But something I have written will be published in the Stirlingshire B.S. Annual Report, and I may print some copies of it apart. 500 copies of our Defence were thrown off from the Scotsman's types, & you might have some of these from Mr. Matheson. A reply no doubt will be made, but first they will write to London about the quotations.
Mr. Brandram said in regard to your suggestion about Prayer, that he was sorry you had then introduced it, but I think you did well. The subject was discussed in the Com., but put aside for further consideration afterwards. Mr Brandram no doubt supposed you were in Edinh. when my letter came, and that you would see it, and so did not immediately write you.
I trust your daughter & her husband, and their child, with yourself are all well, and with kind regards to you all, believe me,
Very Truly Yours,
James Thomson.