The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-01 00:00:00

THE FACTORIES BILL.

In reply to Mr. BRIGHT,
Mr. WALPOL E said ho would state on Friday next
the course ho intended to adopt with respect to the Fac-
tories Bill.
THE PURCHASE SYSTEM IN THE ARMY.
Mr. TREVELYAN rose to call the attention of the
house to the system of purchasing commissions in the
Army. He said the ins! ter was one of the greatest impor-
tance, and it was necessary that the person who undertook
the duty should be very young, because the subject was
one that would require great attention, and more than
likely it was one that would eventually wear him
out as it had already done Lord Clyde, who was
one of the most uncompromising enemies of the purchase
system in the army, awl General Sir Do Lacy Evans.
The present system in practice was one that reqnred
thorough reformation, because as matters now stood it was
not skill and intelligence that qualified for a command in
the army but money. (flear, hear.) The purchase
system was indefensible in practice, and he thought
national safety required that it should be altogether
abolished. Every man when he entered a profession
he considered, should be enabled to live by his call-
ing, but such was not the case in the army.
When young men entered the army certain deductions
wore made, which rendered his pay altogether inadequate
to meet the ordinary expenses, and, without he had the
good fortune to belong to a wealthy family, he stood very
little chance of being able to rise in hisprofession. Accord
ing to the present system it mattered very little whether
he had intelligence or not, because if a man depended
on his intellect, ho would certainly be in a worse
position when he got promotion. Wealthy fami-
lies found it convenient to put their junior
members into the army, and when once there have
ing ample means to fall back on promotion would net only
be easy but rapid. There was no purchase in the navy,
the ludian service, and other branches of the public
service, and he was utterly at a loss to know why pur-
chasa should be required in the army. It cot.:
taiuly was not because the military service was
unpopular. Quite the contrary ; because no pro-
fession held out such inducements for achiev-
ing honour and dtstinction. The system at present
in existence was wrong in every sense. Under the pre-
sent arrangements what was the position of a really
brave but comparatively poor man ? Why if an opportunity
presented itself of obtaining higher grade in the service
he was quite ine,apable of embracing it, because he was
not possessed of the means of purchasing the com-
mission, a younger man stepped in with the regulation
price, and thus passed over the head of the experienced
and able soldier. It was said that by purchase promotion
became more rapid, but he was of opinion that if a judicious
system of retirement was adopted that would do as much
as the system of purchasing commissions in the army
tends greatly to diminish the efficiency of our military
force. _

Colonel SYKES seconded the motion, as he considered
the purchase system was mischievous, imprudent, and
Captain STANLEY supported the motion, remarking
that he had no fear that the post of honour and gentle-
manly feeling would be endangered by promotion from
the ranks. lie hoped that the right hon. baronet the
Secretary for War would take the matter into his serious
consideration, because it was one that required great care
in carrying it into operation on account of the difficulties
that now lay in the way.
Colonel .Nowrit and Captain NUGENT-GREVILLE opposed
the motion.
After a few words from Sir 11. VERNEY,
Major JERVIS gave it as his opinion that the question
was exclusively of a financial character, and said that, if
Parliament was willing to vote the funds necessary to
carry out the change proposed, be for one would be quite
ready to vote for doing away with the system of purchase
altogether.
Sir J. PAKINGTON admitted that there were great
and serious anomalies in the purchase system, but re-
minded the house that the British army had achieved
under it a degree of renown which made it second to
none in the world. It would, he thought, be impossible
to put an and to the present system without a greater con-
currence of public opinion in favour of the change than
had yet been plicited,but without that expression of opinion
it would be vain to expect that the public would consent
to the expense which it would entail. The present sys-
tem—anomalous as it was—had received the sanction of
the Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Richmond, and
other eminent authorities, as also that of the Royal Com-
mission of 1810 ; and it ought uot, he thought, to be
abolished without duo consideration. The right hon.
gentleman added that he hoped to be able in a short time
to lay on the table the report of the Commission on Mili-
tary Organisation, of which Lord Strathuairn was the
chairman, and that it would coutain many important
recommendations, which he apprehended ought to be
considerwl in connection with any scheme for mak-
ing the service more efficient. 11.-3 hoped the host.
b r would not, under theca circioustaueJs: preaa the,
motion to a division.
The Marquis of lIARTINGTON also joined in this
recommendation, and expressed his opin'io'n that the feeling
of the public etas not
ripsfor so important a change as
that suggested,
die also though;which w tzh‘se
thootbisees(utbgshtittutotek(i now
the nature of the system for
and
that which now existed,
also the cost which the
country would be called upon to
Mr. THEVEL having replied,
The
ton was rejected by
The house divided, and the moPi"' 116

Mr. R. MILLS obtained leave to bring in a bill to
repeal the several acts granting and regulating the
appropriation of -£.10,300 from the consolidated fund for
the ecclesiastical establishments in the West Indies,
excoptinz, so far as to continue their allowances to the

present recipients until their promotion, resignation, or
decease.

Leave was given to Lord R. MONTAGU to bring in a bill
to consolidate and amend the laws of vaccination.

In committee of supply a vote of £402,000 was agreed
:o on account of the new Courts of Justice.
The other business was disposed of, and the House ad-
journed at 8 o'clock until twelve this day.

Railway and other Companies.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST.

The adjourned Wharncliffe meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at the International Hotel,
London-t.ridge ; Col. Barttelot, M.P., in the chair.
The. Secretary having read the notice of adjourn-
ment,

The CHAIRMAN moved, in accordance with the
notice read by the secretary, that the meeting be
further adjourned to Thursday, May 16, at that
place. Ile said that at the last meeting he mentioned
that the directors would call a special general meet-
ing to give the shareholders the opportunity of dis-
cussing various matters connected with tho affairs
of the company. A meeting for that purpose would
be held on the 9th May, and he hoped all the share-
holders had received a notice to that effect.
Mr. MACKENZIE seconded the motion.

Mr. Gorz, a member of the committee, said, in
in the absence of Sir J. Jackson, the chairman of
the committee, it was his duty to state that it had
been agreed with the directors to hold the present
meeting for adjournment only, and that no discus-
sion should take place.

The meeting then adjourned to May 16.

LONDON, CHATHAM, AND DOVER.

The adjourned half-yearly meeting of this com-
pany was held yesterday at the Victoria Station.
Lord HARRIS, who presided, said that the same
reason which had induced the directors to adjourn
the meeting to that day now existed, and he had to
ask the proprietors to agree to a further adjourn-
ment. As the directors were not in a position to
state anything with regard to the bill before Parlia-
ment, it was not advisable that there should be any
discussion at the present moment. He then moved
that the meeting stand adjourned until June 17
next, by which time the directors' bill would be suf-
ficiently advanced for their consideration.

Mr. HARTRIDGE said that under the circumstances
he had no objection to second the motion.

Mr. BRISTOW asked if the directors intended to
give the proprietors an opportunity of discussing the
half-year's accounts before the Wharncliffe meeting
was called. He thought some information should be
given the shareholders regarding the arbitration and
other questions.
The same view with regard to holding a general
m eetin g before theW harn cliff e meeting was expressed
by several proprietors, and acquiesced in by Mr.
Baxter, solicitor to the company.
Mr. KNIGHT expressed general distrust of all law
proceedings, and said he believed the law costa for
the bridge over the Thames had amounted to
£BO,OOO, so that if things went on at that rate, and
the directors had to fight this, that, and the other,
things would be still worse for the shareholders. He
asked the chairman if the guaranteed interest upon
the B and C Metropolitan Extensions was not paid
by Sir M. Peto what steps would the directors take.
Mr. WARTER said that Sir Morton Peto did not
admit his liability to pay this interest.
Mr. KNIGHT said that Sir Morton Peto had paid
some of it.

Mr. WARTER said it was so, and the question
was in statu quo. For his part, he believed there
was nothing binding.
Mr. KNIGwr remarked that the B and C stacks
only were guaranteed by Sir Morton Peto.
Another SHAREHOLDER said these shares were ad-
vertised to the public, on the authority of the direc-
tors, as bearing a 6 per cent. guaranteed dividend,
and he thought the directors ought to test the vali-
dity of the guarantees.
A long conversation ensued with regard to the
directors' bill now before Parliament, and an assur-
ance having been given that an opportunity should
be given the proprietors to meet before the Wham-
cliffe meeting, the motion for adjournmedt was
passed.
A vote of thanks was given to the chairman, and
the proceedings terminated.