The Henson Journals

[13]

Tuesday, October 25th, 1921.

I walked to the Club immediately after breakfast, & read the papers. Also I wrote to Clayton, & sent him his "reply–paid" telegram. The Bishop of St David's was in the Club, & had some talk with me. I walked to Westminster, made a fruitless call on Lee, called on Charles, & visited both the Abbey & St Margaret's. Then I went back to the Club, where I fell in with Curgon, who was most friendly. He said that he was strongly opposed to the Prince's visit to India at this time, and that the Viceroy & his Council had pressed for it. I lunched with Ernest, and afterwards we walked together to Lambeth. The meeting of bishops began at 2.30 p.m. I remained until 4 p.m. when I came away in order to attend the debate on India in the House of Lords. I sat for 3 hours in the House, only going out for a cup of tea. Lord Sydenham introduced the subject in a long and rather vehement speech. He was followed by Curzon, who tried, but vainly, to stifle the discussion as inopportune & possibly mischievous in view of the Prince's journey. But he didn't succeed in persuading the House, which was evidently restive under his rather superb direction. Lords Salisbury and Midleton betrayed a distinctly personal animus. Lord [sic] made a raucous & hostile speech which brought up Chelmsford, whose speech made a distinctly favourable impression. Selbourne, Meston, & Sumner all made effective speeches. I came away before the debate closed. I dined at the House of Commons with Murray. Sir Henry Craik was also of the party. At the next table was Sir Alfred Mond, a repulsive–looking Israelite, and, with him, two young Jews, very obvious & very odious. After dinner Craik insisted on introducing me to the Attorney General (Sir Gordon Hewart) and the Lord Advocate for Scotland. I went into the House of Commons, & listened to the debate on the Government's Unemployment proposals. A violent & curiously irrelevant speech, extremely ignorant & bitter, was made by Walsh, who is reckoned to be one of the best of the Labour members. Murray walked with me to Park Lane, where I arrived a few minutes before 11 p.m.