The Henson Journals

Wed 6 July 1927

Volume 42, Pages 174 to 175

[174]

Wednesday, July 6th, 1927.

I spent all the day in the Church Assembly listening to the Debate on the Revised Prayer Book Measure. Most of the speakers were Evangelicals who were for the most part almost incredibly arrogant, and ignorant. Sir Thomas Inskip wound up for the opposition in a rattling Parliamentary speech which took nearly an hour to deliver. He "went for" me over 'the Protestant underworld', and rent the Bishops. The Archbishop of York concluded the debate in a speech of more than half an hour, which had at least three perorations. Then the vote was taken viz

For Against

Bishops 34 4

Clergy 253 37

Laity 230 92

517 133

[175]

This is a considerably better majority in the House of Laity than any of us had dared to hope: and ought to be sufficient to carry the measure through the Houses of Parliament. At the desire of the Archbishop of Canterbury there was no cheering when the figures were read out: but there was very intense feeling both in the House, and in the Crowded galleries.

We hastened away to get dressed for the Lord Mayor's dinner at the Mansion House. Ella and I sate between the Archbishop of Wales and his daughter (Mrs Bramston) on my side, and the Bishop of Winchester and Mrs Woods on hers. The Archbishops were in excellent form, though the younger Primate was, as usual, too long–winded. The Metropolitan of India (Westcott), replying for the over–seas Bishops was interminable. Mistaking the lassitude of his hearers for interest, he meandered on for, I suppose, half an hour.