The Henson Journals

[95]

Tuesday, June 19th, 1928.

I wasted the morning in writing letters. In the afternoon I motored to Newcastle, and attended a meeting of the Durham Castle preservation Committee in the Mayor' Chamber. We sate on for two hours, and got through some important business, though I fear that I took the too great a share in the discussion. However we got the necessary things done. If only that pathetically helpless "Pussy–cat" could be transformed into an intelligent and intelligible human being, we might get on, but with such a Secretary it is heavy going! I returned to Auckland after the meeting.

Lord Halifax has a long letter in the 'Times' on 'Church and State', in which he quotes some words of mine. They are taken, I imagine, from some newspaper report, for they read more crudely than is common with my writing. Of course, his Lordship is all out for a 12th century independence. Let the Bishops & Convocation ignore Parliament, agree on any book they will, and promulge [sic] it on their own authority. What in that case can Parliament do? It would, perhaps, be good advice if the Church of England were united enough to act corporately. But the question is as inevitable as it is disconcerting – Is it?