The Henson Journals

[7]

Wednesday, October 17th, 1917.

1171th day

I received the agenda for the meeting of the R.C.C. in November. Lord Parmoor is to move a Resolution asking the Abps "to appoint a Committee of Members of the R.C.C. to prepare a Report to be presented to the Council at its next meeting". I wrote to Rashdall suggesting that in the first instance the following amendment shd be moved:

"to omit all words after 'Churchmen' in line 5, and to add 'it is highly undesirable that the R.C.C. shd proceed with their discussion until the state of the Nation has become so far normal as to make it reasonable to claim public interest in ecclesiastical reconstruction; & accordingly requests the Abps to postpone any further meeting of the R.C.C. until the end of the War'."

This wd at least serve to compel a debate on the general question. Bayley sent his typist (Alice Hewitt. Freehold. Leamside) to see me: & I arranged that she shd start typing for an hour after finishing work at the Chapter Office. After attending Evensong, I walked with Cruickshank. We stopped at the "Duke of Wellington" public house to inquire whether "Logic" had been observed there, but we could learn nothing. I wrote to Gilbert before dinner, and to Ernest afterwards.

The "Times" publishes my letter under the heading "The Archbishops' Summons". Also a letter from the Bishop of Norwich declaring in favour of the "baptismal franchise". The Bench will certainly be divided on the point.

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