The Henson Journals

[40]

Friday, December 30th, 1927.

I received an ecstatic letter from Hird following up his ridiculous telegram. I wrote at once to make clear to him that Dick Shepperd's tone and mode could never be mine.

There came to lunch a sombre–looking fellow called Mess, who presides over some kind of social bureau in Newcastle, wanted to consult me about some development of his work in Tyneside. I expressed myself benevolently, but wished that he must avoid two rocks viz. ignoring the social work already being done by the clergy and others, and getting mixed up with party politics.

Wynne–Willson his wife, with their 2 elder boys and Jack's fiancée came to lunch.

Ella and I dined ay Wynyard very pleasantly. Capt. Victor Cazalet M.P. for Chippenham, who is Parliamentary Private Secretary to the President of the Board of Trade sate beside me at dinner. He is just 31, and an enthusiastic Christian Scientist. He told me much about the Debate in the House of Commons on the Prayer Book for which he voted.

[41]

Bridgeman said afterwards that he had made the worst speech in his life, an opinion in which Cazalet thought there would be general agreement. He had taken Lord Hugh Cecil home after the division. He (Lord H.C.) wept in the taxi, and was overwhelmed by the consciousness of his failure. That failure was complete and lamentable. The House which was crowded when he began to speak, diminished as he continued, and when he concluded was more than half empty. No doubt this unwanted and humiliating experience destroyed his nerve, facilitated his oratorical collapse. Cazalet said that everybody was discussing Transubstantiation etc in society.

Lord Stamfordham writes to me at some length on the possibility of amending the Enabling Act so as to make it possible for Parliament to escape from the present necessity of 'taking or leaving' a measure submitted to it by the Church Assembly. [I infer that H.M. is] perturbed by the prospect of the Disestablishment question being raised. Yet the more I reflect on the situation, the more impossible it seems to me to avoid the issue of Disestablishment. Nor ought we to seek to do so.