The Henson Journals

[180]

Tuesday, May 6th, 1919.

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I walked to the Athenaeum, & spent the morning I writing a letter to the "Times", in which the gist of my intended speech in Convocation was set forth. This I shewed to Gow, and to Pearce: & since they approved it, I sent it to Printing House Square by the hand of Wynne–Willson who turned up opportunely in the course of the afternoon. After lunching with the Gows, I went to the Upper House, and sate there through the afternoon session. The Archbishop would have passed the "Enabling Bill" without discussion, but I persisted in making a speech. A division was taken, and we mustered 3 votes against the scheme – Worcester, Birmingham, & Hereford. Norwich and Bristol indicated sympathy with us.

I walked back to the City with Gamble. There came to dinner Haldane, Hugh Cecil, Lady Cromer, Miss Sybil Buxton. We had much pleasant conversation, and though we were always skirting the margin of ecclesiastical controversy, we never actually crossed it.Haldane has been talking to Bishop Gore, and the two are agreed in thinking that the hour for disestablishment has struck. But this hardly falls in with my persistent purpose of conserving the Establishment!

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