The Henson Journals
Tue 15 July 1930
Volume 50, Pages 143 to 144
[143]
Tuesday, July 15th, 1930.
I changed a cheque at the Bank in Victoria Street, and then went to Lambeth. Neville Talbot is becoming a problem. He led off with a rambling speech which lasted a full half hour, in the course of which he recommended again his own little book! I spoke shortly, and, perhaps more successfully than before. Palmer was long and obscure, both defects being aggravated by his unfortunate stutter. The Bishop of Algoma, & one of the Scotch Bishops disclosed hostility to the South Indian scheme, & so did the quaint old Archbishop of the West Indies ^(Hutson)^. After lunch we had a deputation of Sectaries ^Nonconformists^, 11 in number. They included Carnegie Simpson, who spoke brusquely & effectively. Again, Neville Talbot inflicted a long & mostly irrelevant speech. Headlam also spoke. I found it hard to imagine what good could come from such a deputation received in such wise. I came away, & went to the House of Lords where I voted with the Government on the "Spreadover" Amendment on the Coal Bill; 168 to 36.
[144]
Lord Hailsham spoke against the Government with astonishing vigour & force. He gesticulates a good deal, and has a prize–fighting manner. Lord Buckmaster was very eloquent on the other side. On the whole, I include to regard him as the best speaker in the House of Lords. The Lord Chancellor, Sankey, has a solemn impressive manner. He speaks slowly, and frames his sentences well. All these men are lawyers, & their excellent speaking suggests that legal training & habit may be very advantageous to an orator, perhaps as advantageous as the training & habit of a preacher are the reverse.
I dined at the Atheaeum with Athelstan Riley. He had got together his collection of Patriarchs & other Orthodox folk, the Archbishop of Utrecht, & the Abp. of Roumania. Lords Brentford ("Jix") and Beauchamp were there, and of the English hierarchy, Temple, Durham, & Chichester. The Abp. of Dublin represented the Church of Ireland. There were speeches. I made a short, foolish, impromptu speech!!