The Henson Journals

[22]

Monday, December 19th, 1927.

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Ella went with me to Darlington. There was much snow on the roads, & it was very cold. I travelled comfortably to King's cross. Colonel Headlam came into my carriage, & gave me an account of the debate in the House of Commons last Thursday. He said that they (the defenders of the Book) started with the assurance of a majority which would not be less than 70, and might be as many as 90. But Bridgman started badly: the Dervishlike fervor of Rosslyn Mitchell and Joynson Hicks swept the House: Lord Hugh Cecil failed completely, he began with a full House, & ended with an empty one. Lady Iveagh & the Prime Minister spoke well, but they could not stay the flood of Puritanic fanaticism, and Lord Wolmer, as the final speaker, was of course utterly futile. He said that the 'No Popery' cry had been utilized in the constituencies with great effect, and that members had been hard–pressed with the threat that, if they voted for the new Book, they would imperil their seats.

[23] [symbol]

On arriving at King's Cross, I drove to Londonderry House, & deposited my bags. I found the family at lunch, & received many compliments on my speech in the house of Lords. It is odd that so many people should have been so greatly impressed by an oration which, in my deliberate judgement, reads badly. Then I went to Lambeth, & attended the meeting of Bishops gathered to consider the situation created by the untoward action of the House of Commons. The Archbishop gave us an account of the proceedings in the House, & what he said accorded with the account of Colonel Headlam. Both the Archbishops pleaded for cautious & conciliatory counsels. I urged that we owed it to the Church not to take this affront 'lying down': that, since the Establishment could certainly not survive much longer, we might be well advised to seize the opportunity provided by this crisis, & make some public declaration indicating our refusal to accept the position as it has now disclosed itself. This would at least "save our faces", and do something to clean up the confusions which haunt the public mind.

[24] [symbol]

I walked to the House of Lords, and wrote to Ella. There also I fell in with Godfrey, who walked with me to Park Lane. He agrees with me we must not take the action of the House of Commons "lying down".

I dined with Lord Londonderry, and Margaret, who had just come back from Paris. After dinner, mine host and I had a long and intimate conversation. He showed me a long letter which he had received from Archbishop D'Arcy in reply to a request for advice as to The Revised Prayer Book. The Irish Primate advised him to vote for the Revised Book. About a dozen Irish peers came over to vote against the Book: [& Londonderry himself had been pressed to do the same./

^[paragraph strikethrough]^ [I asked him whether it was true that that he was going as Ambassador to Paris: & he denied, but in such words that he gave me the impression that the appointment was being considered, & that, if it were made to him, he would not refuse it. I retired to bed about 11 p.m.]