The Henson Journals

[155]

Friday, March 5th, 1926.

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A bright but very cold day. After breakfast I walked to the Athenaeum, and looked at the papers. The Times had a very unfriendly leader, and its report was not very sympathetic. The "Daily Telegraph" had the best report of the debate. The "Morning Post" was very brief. So far as I could see, the other papers ignore it. This is a wholesome, if disconcerting, reminder of the total indifference of the general public to all that the Church of England now is, or does. [I wrote some letters, & then carried my coat to Adeney to be rectified.] Then I called at Downing Street to see Geoffrey Fry, the Prime Minister's Secretary, about the vacant living of Holmside. He had gone to Westminster, so I went thither, & had some talk with him in his private room. Then I called on the Dean of Westminster, who is evidently settling down to his new life comfortably. I returned to the Athenaeum, & lunched there. In the afternoon I walked into the City, & had tea with Ralph & Kitty. Then I returned to Dean's Yard, & dressed for dinner. I dined with Lord Darling. Di and Lady Maud Warrender formed the rest of the party. It was all pleasant enough.

[156] [symbol]

I encountered in the Club two very typical figures, the one of the old type of Anglican, the other of the new – Griffith–Boscawen and Lawrence. The first summed up his verdict on our proceedings in the House of Lords by the statement that "Once more the House of Lords had justified its existence": the last expressed his mind in his address to me, "Well, you have given a mortal wound to the Church of England"! There you have it. The policy of "Life & Liberty" is made, in the minds of its supporters, so completely identical with the interest of the Church of England that to oppose it is treason to the latter! How can one argue with these men? Satisfaction intermingled with amusement is the attitude of the average layman. Lord Sumner told me that in his opinion the argument which had most effect on the Peers was that from the need of economy. There was also a feeling that little Hereford had not been fairly treated. It is certain that a number of votes changed over to the Hereford side in the course of the debate: but I have not heard of a single instance of a change in the other direction. This is attributed to my speech.

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