The Henson Journals

[58]

Wednesday, May 27th, 1925.

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A wet warm day for the Derby, which (if the papers are any indication) fills a larger place in the public mind than any serious interest of Church or State. After breakfasting at the Club, & writing a few letters, I walked to Lamberth, and there continued all day attending the Bishops' Meeting. The most important matter discussed was the scheme for providing pensions for the clergy. The Bishop of Bristol (who is recognized as our financial expert) explained it. Instead of the right to one third of the income, or £2000, which the law at present provides, it is proposed that there shall be a fixed scale – Abp. of C. £1500, Abp. of York – £1250, Bps. of London, Durham, & Winchester £1000: other bishops – £800. It is a significant indication of the tendency of opinion that these amounts were criticized as excessive. The Abp. himself took that view, and argued that there shd be no distinction in the amounts, but that the Primate & the meanest bishop shd have an equal pension. I pointed out to him that this position was offensive to equity, sound policy, and the fitness of things. In any case, the matter was one for the laity, not for the bishops themselves: & I entreated him to take that view in the Assembly.

[59]

I dined at Grillion's. There were present these:

1. The Master of the Rolls (Pollock)

2. Lord Sumner.

3. Sir George Murray

4. Lord Stamfordham.

5. Lord Selborne

6. The Archibishop of York.

7. Bishop Talbot

8. The Bishop of Durham.

I was rather monopolized by Talbot and Selborne, who talked about "Copec", and so was cut out of the far more interesting conversation which went on among the rest of the Company. However, I was interested enough, and Murray carried me in his car to the Hotel. I was impressed, but of course not surprized, by the vigour with which Selborne expressed his repugnance at the recent pronouncements of Major. However, as he affirmed his disgust of the "Fundamentalists", he must be understood to separate himself from the narrowest faction. And, I cannot conceal from myself that Major's utterances are disconcerting, as being extraordinarily difficult to fit in to any coherent version of historic Christianity.

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