§ MR. GRIFFITHsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will be prepared to state the views and intentions of Government on the subject of church rates on the second reading of the Bill for the abolition of church rates.
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, he was quite ready to answer any question, such as was usually put in that House; but he was not aware that it was customary to ask a Member whether he intended to make any statement upon a Bill of which he himself was not in charge. If in the course of the debate on the Bill he should feel it 1055 his duty to address any observations to the House, he trusted the House would give him the opportunity of doing so.