The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-30 00:00:00

THE PURCHASE SYSTEM IN THE ARMY.

Mr. TREVELYAN rose to callthe attention of the
house to the system of purchasing commissions in the
Army. He said the matter 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
ono of the most uncompromising enemies of the purchase
system in .the army, and General Sir Do Lacy Evans.
The present system in practice was one that required
thorough reformation, because as matters now stood it was
not skill and intelligence that qualified for a command in
the army but money. (Hear, 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
were 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, he would certainly be in a worse
position when he .got promotion. Wealthy fami-
lies found it convenient to put tor junior
members into the army, and when once' there have
ing ample means to fall back on promotion would not gnly
be easy but rapid. There was no purchase in the navy,
the Indian service, and other branches of the public
service, and he was utterly at a loss to know why pur-
chase should be required in the army. It cer-
tainly was not because the military service was
unpopular. Quito 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 arrangethents 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 incapable 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
impolitic.
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. He hoped that the right hon. baronet the
S ecretary 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.
Col. NORTH rose, and was
(LEFT SPEAKING.)_

LONDON GAZETTB.-THIS EVENING,

WINDSOR CASTLE, APRIL 30.
The announcement in the Gazette of the 3d of March,
1866, of the appointment of Lieutenant-General the lion.
Charles Grey, and of Major-General Sir Thomas Myddel-
ton Biddulpb, K.C.8., to be Joint Keepers of her Majesty's
Privy Purse, is corrected as follows :—The Queen has
been pleased to appoint Lieutenant-General the Han.
Charles Grey, one of her Majesty's Equerries in Ordinary,
to be Private Secretary to her Majesty ; and Major-Gene-
ral Sir Thomas Myddeiton Biddulph, K.C.8., to be Keeper
of her Majesty's Privy Purse.
FOREIGN-OFFICE, APRIL 20.
The Queen has been pleased to approve of Senhor Jose
Henriques Ferreira as Consul at Liverpool for his Majesty
the King of Portugal and the Algarves.
WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, APRIL 30.
sth Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Troop Sergeant-
Major Thomas Henry Hartnell to be Cornet, without
purchase, in succession to Lieutenant Robert Stickney
Blaine, placed upon half-pay ; Cornet Thomas Henry
Hartirll to be Adjutant, vice Lieutenant Bourne, pro-

. . .
rooted. _
,
9th Lancers—James Alexander Francis Humberston

Stewart-Mackenzie, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase,
vice Gaskell, promoted.
Royal Artillery—Surgeon-Major Jonas King Carr, M.D.,
from the 32d Foot, to be Surgeou, vice James Hannan,
appointed to the 49th Foot ; Staff-Surgeon John Irvine,
M.D., to be SUrgeon, vice Surgeon-Major EL C. Walsh°,
M.D., appointed to the Staff.
lst Regiment of Foot—Lieutenant Francis Robert Stan-
ton to be Adjutant, vice Lieutenant George Deane,
promoted.
4th Foot—Captain Edward Harrison, from the 76th Foot,
to be Captain, vice E. Bromhead, who exchanges.
6th Foot—Gentleman Cadet William Gregory Wood, from
the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without pur-
chase, vice Humphrey Newman, deceased.
7th Foot—Staff Assistant-Surgeon Charles Alfred Atkins
to be Assistant-Surgeon, vice Thomas M'Sheehy, M.D.,
promoted on the Staff.
13th Foot—Thomas Barry George, Gent., to be Ensign, by
purchase, vice Richard Henry Hare, who retires.
14th Foot—Gentleman Cadet Frank Fiddes Rudman, from
the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without pur-
chase, vice H. J. T. Hildyard, transferred to the 71st
Foot; William Gaskin, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice C. L. S. Branson, transferred to the 96th Foot.
16th Foot—Lieut. Basil Clifton Westby to be Captain, by
purchase, vice George Palmer Lockwood, who retires;
Ensign Charles Napier Rivett to be Lieutenant, by pur-
chase, vice Westby ; Edmund Hill Wickham, Gent., to
be Ensign, by purchase vice Alfred S. Lingwood, who
retires ; Ingoldsby William Thomas Somerset Smythe,
Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Rivett.
18th Foot—Ensign John Charles Sarle Irving to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Francis Wallis Lipscomb, who
retires ; Ensign Percy Evans Freke, from the 44th Foot,
to be Ensign, vice Irving.
21st Foot—Lieutenant Ernest Lewis to be Captain, with-
out purchase, vice Alexander Walker, who retires upon
full pay; Ensign John Davidson to be Lieutenant,
without purchase, vice Lewis ; Ensign Joseph Napier
Tew to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice John
Davidson, a Probationer for the Indian Staff Corps.
32d Foot—Staff-Surgeon Richard Chapman Lofthouse,
M.D., to be Surgeon, vice Surgeon-Major Jonas King
Carr, M.D., appointed to the Royal Artillery.
37th Foot—Ensign Robert Alexander Swetenham, from
the 97th Foot, to be Ensign, vice Arthur M. A. Browne,

who exchanges.
38th Foot—Ensign Herbert Conor to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Morton Eagle Harmer, who retires ;
Arthur Munro Smith, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase,
vice Conor.
.44th Foot—Henry George Lefroy, Gent., to be Ensign, by
purchase, vice P. E. Freke, transferred to the 18th
Foot.
45th Foot —Staff Assistant-Surgeon Richard Hugh Carew
to be Assistant Surgeon, vice W. T. Martin, M.D., who
exchanges.
49th Foot—Lieutenant F. Thomas Humfrey, from the 51st
Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice G. C. Cockburn, who ex-
changes.
51st Foot—Lieutenant George Charles Cockburn, from the
49th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice F. T. Humfrey, who
exchanges.
52d Foot—Lieutenant William Barwoll Browne Barwell
to be Captain, by purchase, vice Charles Keywerth, who
retires ; Ensign Charles Elidor Whinyates to be Lieu-
tenant,
.13y purchase, vice Barwell ; Evelyn Broomfield
Pocklington, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice
Whinyates.
55th Foot—Staff Assistant-Surgeon Espine Ward to be
Assistant-Surgeon, vice Samuel Edward Walker, who
has resigned.
59th Foot—Lieutenant Michael Clarke has been per-
mitted to receive a portion of the former difference be-
tween Cavalry and Infantry to which he was entitled
on exchanging from the Bth Hussars.
Glst Foot—Lieutenant Charles Hercules Atkinson to be
Captain, by purchase, vice Gilbert do Lacy Lacy' who
retires; Ensign Augustus Richard Davies to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Atkinson ; Charles Henry
Santi, Gent., to le Ensign, by purchase, vice Davies.
63d Foot—Ensign Richard Carr Francis Burton to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice John Thacker, who re-
tires ; William Henry Wickens, Gent., to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Burton ; Lieut. William Stevens
Ward to be Instructor of Musketry, vice Lieutenant
Berne, who has exchanged into the 103 d Foot.
71st Foot—Captain Francis Bonham to be Major, by pur-
chase, vice James Arthur Gore, who retires upon half-
pay; Lieutenant John Henry Leslie to be Captain, by
purchase, vice Bonham ; Ensign Fredk. Do Sausmarez
to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Leslie ; Ensign
Henry John Thoroton Hildyard, from the 15th Foot, to
be Ensign, vice de Sausmarez.
72d Foot—Lieut. Thomas Francis Pardee to be Instructor
of Musketry, vice M'Kay, promoted to a half-pay com-
pan.
73d Foyot—Hubert Goodwin Kelly, Gent., to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Auchinleck, transferred to the 21st
Foot.
7Gth Foot—Captain Edward Bromhead, from the 4th Foot,
to be Captain, vice E. Harrison, who exchanges.
80th Foot—Lieutenant Edward Richardson, from the 41st
Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice C. S. W. Furlong, who ex-
changes; Lieutenant Lavallin Itobortl Mid Thomas,
from the 41st Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice W. K. Wee_
tropp, who exchanges.