Though you do not "ask me to deal with it afresh" yet I will say two words more about Mr. Massey's difficulty as regards the letter from our Brother H — then in Scotland, sent him circuitously through "Ski." Be just and charitable to — a European at least. If Mr. Massey had "declared to the English spiritualists that he was in communication with the BROTHERS by Occult means" he would have spoken the simple truth. For not only once but twice had he such occult relationship — once with his Father's glove, sent him by M. through "Ski," and again with the note in question, for the delivery of which the same practical agency was employed, though without an equal expenditure of power. His, you see, is one more example of the ease with which even a superior intellect may deceive itself in occult matters, by the maya of its own engendering. And, as regards the other case, may it not be noted — I am no barrister and therefore speak under reserve — as a mitigating circumstance for the accused that Mr. Massey is not even to this day sure that Dr. Billing did not intercept the Simpson letter to his wife, keep it to use against her at a fortunate time and actually so use it in this instance? Or, even allowing the letter to have been delivered to the addressee, know what was the answer — if any written? Has the idea struck your observant friend that at that very time there was a womanly — worse than that — medium's spite far worse than the odium theologicum between the Simpson and Hollis-Billing, concerning their respective claims to the favours shown by Ski? That Mrs. Billing called the Ski of her "friend" Simpson "a bogus spook;" that Dr. Billing complained bitterly to Olcott and H.P.B. of the fraud perpetrated by the Simpson who tried to palm off a false Ski as the genuine one — the oldest as the most faithful "control" of his wife. The row got even into the papers. Strange, that at the time when she was publicly reproached by Mrs. B. with pretending to be controlled by her Ski Mrs. S. should have asked her for such a delicate and dangerous service! I say again — I speak under reserve — I have never looked into the accusation seriously, and know of it by having caught a glimpse of the situation in Olcott's head when reading Mr. C.C.M.'s letter. But the hint may, perchance, be of some service. But this I do know, and say; the long and short of the matter is, that your friend has hastily suspected and unjustly condemned the innocent and done himself harm spiritually. He really has no right to accuse even H.P.B. of deliberate deceit. I protest most emphatically against the woman being dealt with so uncharitably. She had no intention to deceive — unless withholding a fact be a direct deceit and lie, on the theory suppressio veri, suggestio falsi — a legal maxim which she knows nothing about. But then on this theory we all (Brothers and Chelas) ought to be regarded as liars. She was ordered to see that the letter should be delivered; she had no other means of doing so at that time but through "Ski." She had no power of sending it direct, as was the glove; M. would not help her, for certain reasons of his and very weighty too — as I have found out later — ; she knew Mr. C.C.M. distrusted Ski, and was foolish enough to believe that Mr. Massey separated the medium from the "spirit" as proved by her letter; she was anxious out of pure and unselfish devotion for him that he should see that he was noticed at last by a real Brother. Hence — she tried to conceal the fact that Ski had a hand in it. Moreover, an hour after having sent her letter to Mrs. B. to be delivered by Ski, a letter read at the time, not found accidentally as alleged — she forgot all about it as she forgets everything. No idea, no thought of the slightest deceit on her part had ever crossed her mind. Had Mr. Massey asked her to tell him.
K.H.
Letter No. 113 (ML-82) Rec. August 1883
This very long and — to us, unless we are acquainted with Indian political history — rather confusing letter is the Mahatma K.H.'s final attempt to revive the apparently dying Phoenix project. The proposition he suggests to Sinnett is very complicated and so mixed with the tangled political situation then existing in India, that it is difficult to follow its reasoning. However, the problem seems to have been concerned with difficulties between the landowners and the peasants (ryots). The Bengal Rent Bill, purporting to help the peasants, was at issue, but the whole thing had become entangled with pending legislation of the Ilbert Bill, an attempt by Lord Ripon, then Viceroy of India, to institute some reforms to promote local self-government; Mr. (later Sir) Courtenay Ilbert, Legal Member of Council, had introduced a bill designed to make some changes in the administration of justice.
Up to that time no persons other than Europeans or, in more technical language, "European British subjects," could be appointed justices of the peace with jurisdiction over persons of the same category in districts outside the limits of the Presidency towns. The Bill proposed to remove the limitation from the "Code of Criminal Procedure" "at once and completely" and consequently to confer on many native or Indian-born magistrates authority to deal with Europeans, as with anybody else. The proposal, although in appearance reasonable and fair roused the most violent opposition among the planters in the indigo and tea districts and among other classes of the non-official European population in all parts of India. They feared, and not altogether without reason, that their safety in up-country places might be endangered in certain contingencies. A strong counter-agitation was started among the educated Indians, the result being an outbreak of bitter racial feeling such as had not been experienced since the days of the Mutiny. The excitement of the public mind became so threatening that the Government was obliged to withdraw the Bill, and to be content with a much less drastic amendment to the Code, which reserved to European alleged offenders the right to claim trial by jury. The ill feeling roused by the unlucky Bill did not die down for a long time.