1841.
Morrison Education Society.
585
incur the responsibility of any arrangements and outlay that were neces- sary for carrying on the operations of the Society; the time, however, has now arrived for extending them, which will involve additional ́ex- pense and new engagements, and they felt it their duty to defer any proceedings thereon until the sense of the members of the Society was declared. I fully expect that you will affirm the proposition, which I bring forward solely in the capacity of a member of the So- ciety, but at the same time I wish you clearly to understand to what we shall all be pledged thereby. It is not merely a question of raising funds to meet our present or an increased expenditure, but the much more important one of inviting hither another teacher. Mr. Brown has permitted me to state that he is well acquainted with a gentle- man, who, he thinks, would be willing to accept our invitation; he was a fellow-teacher with him, and possesses every requisite qualification, (and we want no better testimony,) and the expenses would at first be moderate, since he would require to remain some time in connection with Mr. Browa. This does not materially alter the case. With Mr. Brown we are differently situated; he is already here, and we are mu- tually committed to each other, for weal or wo; but it is a grave consi- devation to increase our responsibility by calling away a person from his friends and home. The alternative would be, that now we have surmounted all preliminary difficulties, and made such satisfactory progress, and that new channels to our exertions are opening to us under much brighter prospects, we shall be compelled to halt in our course of usefulness, without even a person to supply Mr. Brown's place should sickness unfortunately, or other circumstances cause his absence. But I have now, as I ever have had from the first establish- ment of the Society, the most perfect confidence that this community and the friends of education abroad, will liberally respond to the ap- peal which we now at length feel justified in making to them. While then I have not attempted to disguise the consequences, I still strongly urge the adoption of my proposition.
Mr. Bridgman succeeded Mr. Dent, and spoke to the following effect on the same resolution:
For the non-appearance, on our list of subscribers, of so many of the names of the foreign residents, some explanation ought to be made. Perhaps the trustees have done wrong in this matter; but the fact is, they have never presented the list to the community for signa- tures since the organization of the Society. I know, however, that there are many, now in China, who are ready to aid this Society,
VOL. X: NO. x.
74