10Feb1866, Religion-that-will-suit-all-creeds

LONDON, February 10th, 1866.
—Wonderfully warm : the poor silly buds are on the burst. We chose a pretty quaint bit of old china for a tardy wedding-present to Lady Granville. F. dined in full figg at the Speaker's. I sponged a dinner at the G.'s, where were Glynne uncles ; the Rev. one high gee Convocation, as is his wont ! I can't but be sorry (daresay I'm wrong) at Convocation snubbing down all and any "conscience" clause by a great majority. The plain justice of giving dissenters (whose tax-paying goes to support the school) the option of withdrawing their children from the religious instruction of a Church school, while they profit by the secular, in the few cases where it is impossible for them to have a school of their own, seems undeniable. The mass of the clergy will stop their ears to the whole thing. If they won't propose or admit any right "conscience" clause like what I have described, they will have some horrid religion-that-will-suit-all-creeds one forced upon them willy-nilly [FN: "Came too true" (added later).].