The Henson Journals

[147]

Monday, June 20th, 1927.

Di Darling sent me a note explaining the absence of her father and herself from yesterday's sermon. He was out of town, and she had a headache. Also I received a letter from Richards saying that he would come to Auckland on Wednesday. His son–in–law, the Master, tells me that he will probably accept the professorship: and I hope that he will, for, if he doesn't, I shall be "shut up to" Arbuthnot Nairne, whose wife is described to me as a "terror". !!!

The Master was good enough to take me to task on my use of the word "considering" which has become in his judgment a mannerism, &, as such, to be avoided. These be critical times. My wife told him that my gesture of raising the hand in preaching was most effective, but done too often! Well, well!

I revised the notes of the speech which I proposed to make tomorrow against the Bishop of Liverpool's Bill: and then I talked to Harris the little Fellow of All Souls who, being disappointed of a don's career at Oxford, is now working for the Times. He stood as a [148] candidate for Parliament in one of the Durham constituencies, & was, of course, awfully beaten.

The oily Methodist Secretary, (whose name I cannot remember, but who edits the Contemporary Review and has the duplicated conceit of a Dissenting Minister and of an Editor) sate at my table when I lunched. He said that his wife has been in the Temple yesterday, & had brought him an account of my sermon! We discussed P. B. Revision, and he said that Carnegie Simpson & himself would not let the Dissenters take a hand, in what he thought was properly described as a domestic affair of the C of E. He spoke quite strongly against the Bishop of Norwich & Bishop Knox, who had almost jockeyed the Dissenters into assisting their movement.

After lunch I drove to 30 Grosvenor Place, and looked at the portrait of Bishop Butler, which Messrs. William Dyer & Sons are prepared to sell for £100. They say that it was painted by Joseph Highmore (1692–1780), but it is not signed. It depicts Butler as a young man, & is rather less pleasing than the picture in the Castle.

[149]

I walked to the House of Lords, and wrote to Ella. Then I talked to divers peers who chanced to come in – Desborough, Summer, Carson, Salisbury, Damesfort, & some others. I attended the first stage of the grand debate on the Reform of the House of Lords. Earl Fitz–Alan introduced a motion in favour of Reform: & the Duke of Marlborough moved an Amendment. I was particularly interested to hear the latter. He made a very thin, declamatory, insolent speech: but he had a good voice, & the tricks of a practiced debater. The Earl of Arran, a dull noisy speaker, also moved an amendment. Then the Lord Chancellor stated the intentions of the Government, and did so in a very clear, persuasive manner. I went to the Woolsack, & told him so, adding that he had persuaded me to follow him. "You have so often made me change my opinion that it is only fair that I should do the same by you": he replied pleasantly. Haldane spoke, but was heard with difficulty, & then Selborne rose. I had by this time had enough, and came away. After dining at the Club, I went to Park Lane.

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