§ SIR JOHN PAKINGTONsaid, he wished to inquire of the right hon. Baronet the Secretary for the Home Department, whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill of their own this year upon the subject of church rates; and if not, whether they meant to take the course which they had last year adopted, in simply moving Amendments upon the Bill of the hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, he could not answer the latter question of the right hon. Gentleman until the measure of the hon. Member for the Tower Hamlets came before the House. In reply to the former, he had to state, that if the prospect of having sufficient time to deal with the matter had presented itself, he should have been prepared upon the part of the Government to introduce a Bill in relation to church rates founded upon the principle of the Amendments which he had moved last Session, and to which the right hon. Ba- 344 ronet had just referred. In consequence, however, of the great amount of business which was likely to come under the consideration of the House, he should not introduce any such measure during the present Session.