Archbishop William Temple's reaction to the Ordination of Women.
"Ordination in Hong Kong."
"In May, 1945, the Presidents of both Convocations reported to the Upper Houses that a letter had been prepared by Archbishop William Temple in answer to the Bishop of Hong Kong on the matter of his purporting to have ordained a deaconess to the priesthood. Archbishop Temple died before the letter was signed, but it had nevertheless been sent to the bishop. The relevant passage reads:"
"I cannot think that in any circumstances whatever an individual bishop has the right to take such a step, which is most certainly contrary to all the relevant laws and precedents of the Church, and I therefore feel obliged to tell you that I do profoundly deplore the action you took and have to regard it as ultra vires."
Acts of the Convocations of Canterbury and York ... Ed. A. F. Smethurst and H. R. Wilson, SPCK 1948, p. 52.