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

disadvantages of the system. Mr. TREVELYAN is
himself possessed of considerable ability, and his
Anglo-Indian experience has enabled him to com-
pare the merits of the two systems pursued in Eng-
land and India. Possibly from his familiarity with

the routine of official life Mr. TREVELYAN iS not

very hopeful in the success of his cause. file
apologised for his apparent presumption in dealing
with so large a question, but added that
he thought it advisable the man who took it up

should be young, since he was entering upon a
forlorn hope which be might scarcely live to see

realised. The arguments which Mr. TREVELYAN
brought forward were practically unanswerable,
but the practical difficulties of the case frighten
every one from attempting to embody precept in
practice. Our army, said Mr. TREVELYAN, is con-
stituted on a plan on which no army had been pre-
viously constituted, " not on superior ability, not
on long service, not on professional skill and know-
ledge, but on money." Mr. TREVELYAN brought
forward, in fact, the same objections in his speech
as his father did in his pamphlet ; and this was
natural, not only from association, but because they
must present themselves to every independent
and unprejudiced inquirer. The army, he
contended, could never be looked upon as
a profession under this system, because a man
should look forward to his profession with the hope
of rising in it by doing his best, whereas the pur-
chase system placed an obstacle in the way of those
young men who depended for their success in life
on their attainments and excellence. The expenses
of living added to the price of the commission pre-
sent a formidable barrier to any but rich men, and
the consequence has been that it has been difficult
to get sufficient officers for the cavalry regiments,
so that, as Mr. TREVELYAN observed, the sys-
tem has actually broken down at both
ends—enough men could not be got to recruit
the ranks or to supply officers. The various
attempts made by successive governments to
neutralise or to counteract the evils of the system
have been, after all, but so many clumsy devices.
The difference between the Imperial army and that
of the East India Company was strongly com-
mented upon by Colonel SYKES. That army could
certainly boast of a long list of most distinguished
names, and annals of Indian warfare form a proud
page of our national military history. It is worth
while to examine into the difference. " The army
of the East India Company," said Colonel SYKES,
" was recruited without the slightest difficulty, and
from a different class of persons to those who
entered the Royal army. In the Indian service there
was always something to look forward to. There
was a multitude of appointments open to men of
some little education and station ; and many men
were induced to go to India upon the chances of
success thus held out to them who could never en-
tertain any hope of promotion in the Royal army."
This, in fact, is the great drawback : worse in one
sense than the amount of money demanded, because
the hopelessness of the prospect is quite sufficient to
deter those bold and enterprising temperaments
who are best adapted to excel in a military career.
The ardent and aspiring youth, possessed of good
talents and energies, needs scope for their exorcise and
may well be disgusted at the prospect of five-and-
twenty years subordinate service, with an obscure
half pay at the end. Col. SYKES cited one or two
cases which proved clearly the inequality and injus-
tice of the present system, and very sensibly pro-
posed that a beginning should be made by degrees.
As officers wanted to sell commissions let them, ho
said, be bought by the Government, and in process
of time the evil would be extinguished.

The speech of Captain STANLEY was certainly a
very favourable specimen of maiden oratory, and
his clear, straightforward views called forth
the applause of the House. Ile dwelt
particularly upon one or two points which
had been less noticed than they deserved, and
and especially referred to the responsibility which
rested upon 3 young and untried officer at the very
moment of his entering the service. He had thrust
upon him the responsibility of the charge of so many
human lives without being required properly to
qualify himself for that charge. "At the present
time a young officer entered the army with the best
intentions, working well and wishing to do his duty.
But the life of a soldier was composed of a multi-
tude of small details, the knowledge, or want of
knowledge, of which would constitute the differ-
ence between the comfort and discomfort
of all those who were immediately under him."
This is sound sense, and must be admitted by all
who have any knowledge of military life. The
examination at present adopted is merely, as
Captain STANLEY reminded the House, to keep
back a man who is totally unfit, not to select the
best officers. Ile contended that officers intended
for the rank of actual commanders of battalions
should be chosen by selection ; and that majors
of regiments who were likely to be called on to
act suddenly in the absence of their superiors,
should also be selected on account of their military
acquirements. We are glad to find a gentleman
of Captain STANLEY'S rank and position holding
such independent views, and we have little doubt
but that as this question is more generally discussed,
the number of advocates of military reform will
be largely reinforced from all classes of the com-
munity.

CALLS TO THE BAR.—Gray's Inn, April 30.--At
a pension holden this day, William Gouldthorp, of
Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, gentleman, only
son of J. Gouldthorp, Esq., of the same place, was called
to the degree of Barrister-at-Law.—Lincolu's Inn, April
30 :—The undermentioned gentlemen were this day called
to the degree of Barrister-at-Law Jommett Browne, Esq.,
8.A., Oxford; C. H. Robarts, Esq., M.A., Oxford; Hon. F.
G. Dutton, 8.A., Oxford ; Henry S. Brandreth, Esq., 8.A.,
Cambridge; Baldwin M. Smith, Esq., 8.A., Oxford; Hon.
It. C. E. Abbot, M.A., Oxford; A. Loughborough, Esq.,
8.A., Oxford ; C. M. Fulford, Esq., 8.A., Cambridge ; R.
Swan Stephen, Esq., 8.A., Cambridge.—Middle Temple,
April 30 : The undermentioned gentlemen were this day
called to the degree of the Utter Bar by the Hon. Society
of the Middle Temple : John 11. Turner, G. Shee, LL.B.,
Trinity Hall, Cambridge; Budroodeen Tyabjee, Isaac Bad-
cock, 8.A., Trinity College, Oxford ; It. Sanders, R. W.
M. Bird, F. M. Adams, 8.A., Sidney Sussex College, Cam:.
bridge ; Wade S. Garnett, 8.A., Trinity College, Dublin ;
E. Vaudayne, F. H. Avice, and F. 0. Crump, of Queen's
College, Cambridge.

MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE OF THE
MURDERESS IN LAMBETH.—Yesterday afternoon a
most fearful murder was perpetrated in the parish of Lam-
beth. The mother belonged to a very respectable family
residing in the midland counties, and has not long been
married. She was confined about four months ago at her
relative's residence. Since that time the unfortunate
woman has suffered from illness, and as fears were enter-
tained that she would be attacked with puerperal mania it
had been deemed necessary to keep a strict watch upon
her actions. During the whole of yesterday forenoon
there was nothing observable in the behaviour or appear-
ance of Mrs. Belcher to create alarm, but on the return of
her husband at about a quarter to six o'clock, he was ad-
mitted to the house by Mrs. Jacobs, the landlady, and pro-
ceeded to the apartments occupied by himself and family,
where a sight of the most ghastly description met his view.
Belcher, not finding his wife iu the sitting-room, went into
the largest back room, where he was horrified at seeing his
wife and son lying in a mass of blood upon the bed. Beside
the wretched woman lay the body of the little boy, also
covered with blood. All the muscles and large arteries of
the throat of the child were completely severed. Upon
examivation, it was thought the boy had been dead for
upwards of an hour. As soon as the poor woman's wounds
were dressed, she was tenderly placed in a cab, and con-
veyed to Westminster Hospital, where she was carefully
attended to. She was at once placed in bed, and although
she appeared to regain some little strength, her injuries
aro of that fearful nature that, up to a late hour last night,
little hopes were entertained of her recovery.,