The Henson Journals

[108]

Tuesday, January 30th, 1923.

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I walked to the Athenaeum, and thence made my way to the Dean's Yard. We began with business motions for times & lengths of sessions. The Dean of Westminster seized the opportunity of throwing a bombshell into the assembly by an earnest appeal to lighten its programme by throwing over Prayer–book Revision. The Archbishop assured me afterwards that he himself had received no intimation of the Dean's purpose, & was as much surprised as the rest of us. On this I made a speech in the course of which I drew attention to Arnold Pinchard's cynical "letter", and had a dig at London as 'leading in agitation but not directing policy. I desired that the rest of England would play again its historic rôle of rescuing the Church from the influence of London.' The business motion was followed by the Winchester Bishoprick Division Measure, which I opposed in a second speech which, I fear, was slip–shod and ineffective. Then I went off to the wedding of Sir Timothy Eden & Miss Prendergast in St George's, Hanover Square. The Bishop of Wakefield officiated, & I gave an address. On returning to the Assembly I found the Winchester measure still in debate. It occupied all the rest of the session. "General Approval" was carried with an understanding that the measure must be fundamentally re–cast. In the evening the speaker & Mrs Whiteley came to dinner.

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