The Henson Journals

[43]

Wednesday, December 13th, 1922.

I spent the morning writing letters, and, when these were finished, in reading S. Thomas Aquinas on Marriage. After lunch Clayton and I motored in to Durham, and attended the performance Handel in the Cathedral. I sate in my throne, & gave the Benediction therefrom. We had tea with Bishop & Mrs Quirk, whom we afterwards motored to Auckland, where they had arranged to pay us a short visit.

I was much perturbed at hearing of a proposal which was coming before the Chapter next Saturday, for leasing the prebendal house now occupied by the Female students to the University for a term of 50 years. This not only involves a violent breach with the collegiate tradition, but also alienates a valuable property, for which the Church will certainly have urgent need in the near future. The Dean & Chapter would not be treating me fairly if, having approved the scheme for revising the constitution which has been formally placed before the Church Property Commission, they use the interval before that Commission reports in working out a scheme of their own inconsistent with the other. I wrote strongly both to Derry and to Cruickshank. I said that any canon opposed to the scheme would be justified in appealing to the Visitor against so grave a departure from the statutes, and so considerable a breach in the collegiate tradition.

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