The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-31 00:00:00

BATH.

Lord ELM'S°, in rising to call attention to the army
regulation which requires an officer to have served six years
before he can be promoted to the rank of major; and fur-
ther, to call attention to the limitation of the Or.ler of the
Bath to field officers, in consequence of which there are
now no means of rewarding an officer below that rank in
the British army, raid that, seeing the state of the house
—there not being 20 members present—he would condense
the observations he bad to make as much as possible. The
regulation which required six year.' service bef ire promo-
tion to the rank of major was doubtless necessary for se-
curing the efficiency of the service. lie thought it faulty,
however, in the present regulations, that there was no
power of modifying them in time of war, as was done in
the French and Sardinian armies, thus enabling the State
to enjoy the advantage of having officers of the highest
grade at a comparatively early period of life. In the
navy it was possible for a man to attain the rank of post-
captain at the ago of 2', whereas in the army. supposing
to have entered at 18, he could not attain the rank of
major under 24. He trusted the Government would con-
sider the propriety of shortening this term in time of war.
With regard to the Order of the Beth, he thought that
distinction ought not to be confined to field officers only,
but might with great advantage be extended to alt grades
in the army. Merit and not rank ought to be the qualifi-
cation for an order of merit. The Duke of Wellington
wrote, in 18 [5, when the reconstruction of the Order of
the Bath was under cons !oration, to the Puke of York,
stating that he did not coribur in the limitation of the order
to field officers, and proposing certain modifications
for including captains and other officers, and the
Duke of Yerk, in reply, wrote that he con-
curred in principle with the Duke of Wellington,
but that he was prevented carrying out his suggestions in
consequence of the difficulty of making individual selec-
tions. He (Lord Elcho) suggested also that the statutes of
the Victoria Orderof Merit should be remodelled, mention.
ing that, according to them, Sir J. Inglis was not entitled
to the Victoria Cross, while a berubsrdier who threw fl
6 tun that
b. rerto:i';ilt
partotveirdetdhotsheatoefvethlye
shell out of a parapet would receive it. Tie sue •,L
these statutes should
Order of St. George of Russia,
ofileer should be inserted in the list who, when in the com-
mand of troops, and animating them by his own example,
capturing a ship, a battery, or any place held by the
enemy, or stood a siege without surrendering. He was
anxious that the Secretary for War should consider the
subject, and be hoped he would, if he thought it consistent
with discipline and the efficiency of the service, relax the
rule with regard to the Order of the Bath, and institute a
fourth bar, or extend the third bar to all (dicers.
Sir F. MITII said he was sure the junior officers were
much indebted to the noble lord for having advocated
their cause. No doubt the order would be very accept-
able; hut, perhaps, as the Duke of Wellington had been
in power subsequently to 1815, and done nothing in the
matter, that might show that there were objections to it.
peejlaps, too, it might create heartburnings if it were given