The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-12 00:00:00

ALTERED SYSTEM OF P &rR CIIA SE.

How such a measure (its this will work time only
can show. No doubt it will be a great incentive to
regimental officers to distinguish themselves by
caring for the interior economy and discipline of
their corps, with such prizes as regimental com-
mands in view; prizes which may not, indeed, be
always assigned to the worthiest, but which, in
these days of publicity, will hardly be assigned by
the military authorities to those who have not
proved themselves worthy. That the proposed
change is a moderate one is probable from the
fact that it satisfies neither party ; the aboli-
tionists rejecting it as not going far enough ;
the military party represented by Colonel
North—denouncing it as the thin end of a
wedge which in time will shiver the purchase sys-
tem to its core. Be that as it may, it becomes
our first duty to caution the officers of the army
to look well to its immediate effect, which must un-
doubtedly be to lower the value of regimental com-
missions to the regulation prices. A lieutenant or
a captain of cavalry, called upon by his brother
officers either to pay double the regulation for his
next step, or to stand aside and let a wealthier can-
didate for promotion precede him, has hitherto
been told that such has been the established usage
of the corps in which he has the honour of holding
a commission, and that whenever he retires he will
be entitled to receive from his successor
.the high
price which he himself has been required to dis-
burse. He has been reminded, too, that in pur-
chasing his steps at such an enhanced price he has
been purchasing certain and speedier access to the
highest ranks and emoluments of the service.
But the declaration made by Mr. Herbert on
Tuesday night alters completely the position of
purchasing officers, and materially narrows the
advantages which they arc likely to obtain by thus
investing their money. As things now are, a man,
having invested, say £9,000, in the purchase of a
majority in a cavalry regiment, has done so on the
calculation, that this payment would secure for
him, at no distant period, the lieutenant-colonelcy
of his regiment, and, in due course, the grades of
colonel and general, and the usual good things con-
nected with those ranks. But, as soon as Mr.
Herbert's plan has been carried into effect,
the purchase of a majority will insure no such
advantages; and it will depend entirely on
the personal merits of the officer, aided perhaps a
little by the interest which he can command,
whether he rises rapidly in the service, or whether
he remains a major till the end of his days ; and,
if he be obviously incompetent, he certainly will
never get the command of a regiment, pay what
ho will. It is clear, therefore, that the prices above
regulation, of which we have lately heard so much,
must henceforth be abated ; and that in-coming
officers can no longer in fairness be asked to pay
money for which no certain return can be
offered to them. This may be bad news for those
who actually hold commissions for which they
have paid these fancy prices ; but the facts are as
we have stated them, and this ought to be fairly
faced; and young officers, who in future choose
with their eyes open to pay the large sums above
regulation which have, up to the present time, been
asked for and received, can have no reason to com-
plain if they do not get them again when they
retire. However hard Mr. Herbert's measure may
bear upon individuals, if it succeeds in abolishing
the noxious practice of paying large sums above
regulation for promotion, it is impossible but that
it should be beneficial to the working officers of
the army.—Army and Navy Gazette.