The Henson Journals

[351]

Friday, February 4th, 1927.

By some mysterious accident five type–written pages of my Lecture have gone astray. After rewriting them from memory, I had the cold comfort of reviewing a wasted morning.

I motored to Lambton Castle and took part in the Conference on Emigration which Lord Durham had convened. We did not make much headway, for after nearly two hours talking we reached no more considerable conclusion than that his Lordship should write to the Mayors & other local authorities exhorting them to do what they can to forward the emigration schemes framed by the Governments here and abroad. Then we had tea, & came away.

The amazing trial in which a worthless libeller, Captain Peter Wright brought an action against Lord Gladstone for denouncing him as a liar, coward, & foul fellow ended in a verdict for the defendant, the Foreman of the Jury adding the assurance that the jury were unanimous in thinking that the G. O. M.'s moral character had been triumphantly vindicated. The "Times" expresses some doubt as to the wisdom of noticing so base a calumniator, but it may fairly be maintained that the Gladstone Brothers were right in holding themselves bound to champion their father's memory, and, perhaps, some public interest is concerned in clearing the reputation of a man, so eminent. And it will be useful that the public should realize the slightness of the basis on which mountains of calumny may be raised.

---