The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-18 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUG UST 18, 1857.

REPOR7 OF THE COMMISSIP.V ERS APPOINTED
To INQUIRE INTO THE PURCHASE OF COM-
MISSIOZvS IN THE AR3IY.

In obedience to your Majesty's commands we
have entered upon this inquiry, with a deep sense
of the importance of the duty entrusted t-. us, and
of the responsibility which attatilies to its perform-
ance. The mode in which commissions in the army
are first obtained, and the regulations which govern
the promotion and the retirement cf offieev, are
matters which affect the constitution of our who'e
military syst m. Fe -ling, therefore, that a deci-ion
on this subject may influence for many years the
efficiency of the British army, we have endeavoured
to collect all the informat; on in our power, as well
from the labours of former c,minissions, as from
the evidence of witnesses acquainted with the prac-
ical working of the syst -m. An in ve-tigativn into
the influence which the purchase system has exer-
cised upon the efficiency of the army is rendered
difficult from the fact that long-established nwirte
has 80 far accustomed officers to the practice,. th'st
few of our military witnesses have ever ser ousiy
contemplated any o'ber system of entry or of pro-
motion in the army. Flom the ear:iest period of
which there are any records of a standing army in
;his country, the sate and purchase of commissions
n the army appear to have been anti orised. At
the time of t':e Resforation a military guard was
created to attend upon the King. This corps cou-
s's'ed, in the first instance, of the followers and ad-
herents of Charles 11. ; of this corps, the privates as
sv,ll as the officers were allowed, upon their retire-
ment from the service, to dispo.,e of their appoint-
ment, by sale, to persons who bad been previously
approved by the King. The purchase of civil offices
under the government was at that period openly
recognised ; the adoption of such a system the
army was therefore in unison with the custom of
the public service. When 'h situation of Secretary
of State could not be obtained by an eminent s'ates-
man, without the payment of 5,0001., it is not snr-
pising the mastership of the Ordnance should haVe
been purchased ; and that high militaiy commands
should not be resigned without some pecuniary com-
pensation. In the year 1681, Charles the Second
bought the command of the regiment of guards
from Colonel Russell, and bestowed it on his
son, the Duke of Grafton, who- had not, as it is
stated, been in the army before hereceived this ap-
pointment. The sale of commissions in the army
was prohibited by William the Third ; awl by the
Mutiny Act of 1694 every officer was cempellecl to
make oath that he had not given or promised to give
any money or re ward for his commission. In the Mu-
tiny Act of 1701 this oath was omitted. In 1711, a
Royal warrant directed that no commissions should
be sold without the Royal approbation under the
sign manual. In the reign of George 1., a board of
general officers reported upon the price which
should hereafter be paid for commissions ; and, in
accordance with their recommendations, the regu-
lations of 171.9 were issued. These regulations have
been altered from time to time, as may be seen from
a table in the appendix to this report. The price of
commissions in the army is at present governed by
the regulations issued by Royal authority in the
year 1821. The artillery and engineers have always
formed an exception to the rest of the army, since,
in these corps, the system of sale and purchase has
never been introduced. The mode of entry, until
within the last two years, was through the Aca-
&my at 'Woolwich ; and the Master-General of the
Ordnance nominated to the academy. All subse-
quent promotion in these corps was strictly go-
verned by seniority. Latterly, a mode of entry hy
competitive examination has been adopted ; sufli-
cieut time has not yet elapsed to enable an opinion
to be pronounced upon its results, and it is stated
that the system is yet to undergo some further
modification. The Ordnance corps, in past years
(that is, before the recent augmentation), will serve
to illustrate the progress of promotion in regiments
where no purchase is allowed, and where the rule
of seniority is strictly observed.

THE PRESENT MODE OF ENTERING THE ARMY.

A person desiring to obtain a commission in the
army, applies to the commander-in-chief, or to his
military secretary. The commander-in-chief makes
such inquiry as he may think fit into the character
and cis cum-tances of the candidate ; if he is satis-
fied with the r,sult, he directs the name to be en-
tered in a book, for a commission, either with pur-
chase, or without purchase, as the case may be. In
the three regiments of guards, and in the regiments
of household cavalry, the patronage of granting first
commissions is vested in the colonels of the re3pe

tivexegiments. The candidate for commission, whe-
ther by purchase or not, is always sent to the Mili-
tary College of Sandhurst, for the purpose of being
examined, before he can receive hiscommission The
present system of examinatit in wa s established in
the year 1819. When a young man has passel his
examination, he is eligible fur a commission. If
he has applied to purchase, he may be appointed to
the first vacancy which occurs from a retirement
by sale ;if he-has applied for a commission without
purchase, he must wait until a vacancy shall have
occurred by death, when his application may ba
considered together with the claims of other candi-
dates. In the purchase of the first commission,
the regulation price is never exceeded. The com-
mission is never gazetted until the required sum
has been paid to the army agent. Some commis-
sions without purchase are annually reserved for
the cadets at Sandhurst who have passed a certain
standarl of examination, which is of a higher
character than the one required of candidates
generally. The system of purchase operates very
differently in time of war and of peace. During
the former period the augmentations and vacancies
fern death leave open many commis-ions without
purchase; but, upon the conclus'on of peace, the
vacancies are fewer, and those which occur aretin
great measure filled up by officers brought in from
the half-pay list.

PROMOTION.
Promotion is of two kinds—either army prom(?-
ton, or regimental promotion ; army promotion is
by brevet, and is unconnected with the purchase
.
system. This does not, therefore, come strictly.
within the scope of our inquiry. rogimmtal pro-
mot on can only be obt tined, without purchase,
when vacancies occur from cmualties, or when

augmentations are authorised. The rule of pro.
motion by purchase is that when a vacancy occurs
in the higher ranks of a regiment, from the ret;re-
ment of an officer by sale, every officer has a claim,
according to seniority, to purchase the next rank in
the regiment provided that no objection to his
promotion is made by the commanding officer of the
regiment, or by the Commander-in-Chief. Periodi-
cal returns arc made from every regiment to the
office of the Commauder-in-Chief, showing the
n -meg of the officers of each rank who are desirous
of purchasing advancement, and the references
which they give for the funds necessary to effect
their object. These returns are certified by the
commanding officer, who moreover states whether
the officers desirous of purchasing promo ion are
fit and qualified for the advancement which they
seek. If no qualified officer of the regiment pre-
sents himself for purchase, an officer is brought in
to fill the vacancy from some other regiment or
from the half-pay list. According to the practice
of the army, no officer who is able and wilting to
pay the regulation pricais passed over by another
in the same regiment., unless some flagrant. conduct
or notorious incapacity should justify the withhold-
ing Isis certificate. The two principles which regu-
late promotion are said to be, first, that no officer,
however deserving, shall be promo'ed, vei,heut
purchase, over the brad of his senior in the same
regiment ; secondly, that no officer shall be pro-
nic'.ed, by purchase, over the head of his senior
officer in the same regiment, provided such senior
officer has stated his claim to purchase conformably
to the regulations. When an officer has reached
the position of lieutenant-colonel the power to pur-
chase any higher rank ceases. The pr:ca to be paid
for commissions was considered and reported upon
by a board of gene; al officers in the year 1821. It
is, however, admitted that during a period of peace
the regulations, although stringently worded, with
the addrtioe of a revere penalty for their infraction,
are yet habitually neglected, and the price paid,
except in the purchase of the first commission, al-
most invariably exceeds the price fixed by autho-
rity- An experienced army agent has stated that
be considered very reasonable. In for-
k' the cavalry any sum under double the regulation
mpreicreyeamarys, a declaraion was required from officers,
that they had net given more than the regulation
price ; but this was evaded, and therefore discon-
tinued.
ustb3
The practice, therefore, of pa} in sums
execedainngatchceomrepg:iliaiintioenntporfi
to prevent.
to b 3 purchase considered
sytem
RETIREMENT. •
which it appears impossible

The
officer, cer,who has purchased
any
permitted to retire from
and to receive the value of the
the army at any time, without reftrence to the
period of his servic?,
of ruleihs coims, ol thisttio ant!,
com.ucissions which he has purchased, provided al
ways that he has not been guilty of mi.9.conduct. An
officEr who has purchased all his commissions, and
who sells out as a lieutenant colonel, is entitled to
receive back, according to regubtion the same
amount as that which ho had paid for his =magi.

sinus. Ii he d'es iu the service this money is lost
to his family. If, moreover, he is attack, dby dis-
ease, and is deeme I to be in immediate danger, he
would tot be permit'ed to sell the commisiion wlij h
he halls. Th cc regulations have been modified by
the warrant of Marc'', 1856, which sanctions the re-
pt-137mm t to an ofil er's widow, children, or o'her
relst ons, of :he regnlation pr:ce pill for his com-
missions, provided the officer has been killtd in
action, cr has died of wounds, received in floe of
t ,e enemy, within six months after being wounded.
Au officer, who has not purchased any, of Ira com-
missions, is allowed to retire by the sale of his
commission, after a certain pariod of service. A
fig I-offic, r, if he hts se rvsd 2) years, would be
allowed the full price of his commission. The rule
has been adopt d of late years, allowing an- officer,
who has served a .ho: ter tine, to receive 1001. for
each year of service, in addition to the sum paid for
any step which he may have purcha e.l. Under
three year's service, however, this permission would
not be granted. In tl,e case of an officer, who has
risen from the ranks, the rule is Bat two yea's in
the ranks count as one in commission, and lie is
permitt &to sell his commission on th'se terms.

OBJECTIONS MADE TO THE PURCHASE SYSTEM.
The prase ice of buying and selling places of honour
or ot emolucueut under Cie Crown is, it is contend-
ed, vicious in print pl., repugnant to the public
sentinieat of the present day, and equally inconsis-
tent with the honour of the milOary profession and
with the policy of the British emp re. To demand
the peynient of a sum of rn iney from a young man
who enters the army, and who devotes his youth,
his health, and it may be his life, to the service of
his country, to make his pi °motion dependent on
his purse ; and, lastly, if he survives the labeuis
and risks of ;he service, to allow him t a receive again
in lieu of a pension the money which may have been
pail for his oerini-s'ons, are measures which are
said to constitute a system of Military policy irre-
concileab'e with jus ice, and unknown in every
other country throtrehout the world. This system,
it is moreover affirmed, produces i 1 effec's upon
the constitution of the army, and impairs its effi-
ciency, by giving an undue preemieence to wealth,
by d scouraging exertion, and by depressing merit.
Under such regulaeions there is little inducement
for officers to acquire proficiency in the science of
war, or to study the military progress of other na-
tions. An officer who performs leis routine duties,
and who keeps a sum of money available to pur-
chase his promo ion, as opportunities offer, may
lo3k forward with confidence to the attainment of
high military rank. Whsle the subaltern who has
not the means to buy advancenielat may serve dur-
ing all the best years of hie life in distant stations
and in deadly climates', yet he must be prepared to
see his juniors pass over him, for he will find that
knowledge of military science and at•ention to re-
gimental duties do not avail him, unless he is able
to buy the rank to which his qualifications entitle
him. In time of war every officer woo has paid for
his commissions mast feel that he is exposed not
merely to the loss of life, but to the addi'ioual risk
of forreiting by his death the amount of money he
has invested for the purchase. of 11.. s promotions, and
which might otherwise haveafforded a subsistence to
his widow and children. The officer, therefore,
enters into the battle with a Isuowledge that in
bee ardieg his life he hazards also the future pro-
spects of those who are dearest t ) him. The regu-
lation price of conainissiens is a fiction, and the large
sums which officers are ceinpeled to pay for pro-
motion aggravated the evil effects of the system.
This is an evil which is inherent in'the system, and
which cannot, it is said, be remedied, although it
operates unfairly to meritorious officers, and injuri-
ously to the pnbl'c interest. An officer, for instance
may refuse to retire unless he can obtain a much
larger sum than the regulation price ; the next for
purchase cannot afford to give this amount, and
he must either allow himself to be passed over or
place himself in the invidious position ot stopping
all promotion in the regiment. Cases of this kind
lead to traffic and bargaining amongst officers,
whereby a mercenary feeling, it is al:eged, is created
in men whose guiding principles should be a nice
sense of honour and a disinterested attachment to
the service. Exchanges from one regiment to an-
other, and sales to officers on half-pay, facilitate an
evasion of the regulations by practices which the
higher authorities of the army are unable to pre-
vent. The system of purchase inflicts other hard-
ships on the less wealthy officers. At the conclu-
sion of a war reductions necessarily take place, and
many officers are put on hal-pay. Then, if a va-
csncy occurs in a regiment by the retirement of au
officer selling his commission, the next for purchase
equally buys his promotion; but if a vacancy by
deals occur, and the non-purchasing officer hopes
that his chance of promotion has at last arrived, he
may find to his dismay that another officer is
brought in from the half-pay, and that thus even a
deatlr vacancy does not further his advaancement.
Again, it is coeteniled that while the purchase sys-
tem presses so unfairly on the less weathy officers,
disheartening men who wish to devote their lives
to the profession, it attracts to the' service idle
young men, who, having money at their disposal,
regard the army as a fashionable pastime fora few
years ofleisure, and bring with them habits of expense
and dissipation injurious t 3 discipline, and embar-
rassing to their fellow officers, who are often forced
to leave a regiment where such an extravagant mode
of life prevails. In a country._ where enlistment is
volunlary, it should be tlib p 'lice of the state to en-
courage men to join the army by
rewarding the
most deserving with commissions.
But, under
the system of purchase, a soldier who has been
promoted from the ranks cannot hope to gain fur-
ther steps without money, whilst even the honour-
able position he has gained, by banging him into
the soc'ety of richer men, often renders his pro-
motion a doubtful advantage. From tire above-
mentioned caus..s it is alleged the efficiency of the
army is imp tired, and the military spirit of the
nat on is deterio- asecl ; but other instances are
adduced where the public interests suffer more
directly from the effects of the purchase system.
The command of a regiment is an important trust,
yet it is admitted by high authority that several
officers have attained the position of lieutenant-
colonel who were unequal to the command of the
regiments which they held. Under existing regu-
lations officers succeed to the lieutenant-colonelcy
by purchase, unless they should be disqualified by
some notorious unfitness. When they have ob-
tained this command it is difficult for the higher
alithoritiss of the army to remove them. A lieu-
tenaiet-colonel may b for command,
and h's unfitness may have been noticed by the
inspecting-general in. his reports ; yet hey he'
may not admit of distinct charges being brought
against him, of which a court-martial could pro-
perly take cognisance. Toe authorities at the
Horse Guards feel a difficn'ty in exercising the in-
vidious power of removing such an officer. Some-
times, as the least objectionable course, they have
proposed that he should be put on half-pay, but
this burthens the country with an annuity for life
for an officer who is unfit to remain on full pay.
Here the evil consequences of the purchase
system are direct and manifest ; and when
it is remembered how, far the issue of a bat-
tle may depend upon the efficiency an
skilful handling of every regiment engaged, it is
difficult to overrate the possible mischief resulting
from the system. Not only may incsmpetent
offi-
cers retain the commandof regiments, but the com-
mander of the forces may not be able to appoint the
officer whose standing and whose qualifications fit
him for this position. A remarkable instance is
cited where an officer, eminently qualified for such
command, received from the late Duke of Welling-
ton the offer of a regiment, which, from pecuniary
circumstances, he would have been compelled to
decline, unless other officers had generously come
forward to assist him with the cum r equired to be
paid for his promotion. This case occurred during
a period of war. If the purchase system interferes
thus injuriously with the appointments to the com-
mand of regiments it must indirectly affect all the
higher ranks of the army. Whenever the respon-
sible advisers of the crown are obliged to prepare
for ;he contingencies of war, and to recommend her
Majesty to name a commander for her army in the
field, they mu,t necessarily select from amongst
those who have attained high rank in the army.
The great majority of these officers, however, will
have risen by purchase, obtaining their rank not
from any acknowledged fitness, but from the cur-
rent of promotion and the opportunities of buying
advancement. This c ountry w ill therefore commence
the operations of war under a disadvantage compared
with foreign states, where all the officers ins the
higher grades Will have been subjected to several
selectiocs, and may, therefore, if the power of selec-
tion has been honestly and wisely exercised, be all
men of known efficiency and merit. To comprise in
a.few words the ev of the purchase-system, it is said
to restrict the numb-r of tbose from whom officers
can in the first instance be obtained ; it deadens the
feelings of emulaiiou and the eagerness to acquire
mklit try knowledge, and it renders men eligible for
the higl.est command without taking any security
that they are fitted for such a position. Such a
basis for the establishment of an army is, it is said,
most impolitic in a country whose military force is
Docosatily amail when compared with continental

states, and whoa) power therefore depends upon
rendering its army efficient in the Highest degree by
the s le-ction of officers distinguished for their per-
sonal qualities, and for their professional acquire-
ments.
Having thus stated the objections which are
urged against the purchase-system, we must on the
other hand state that the prevalent opinion amongst
military men, so far as we have beep able to ascer-
tain their views, is favourable to the system, or at
least favourable to its m sintenanc?, until some
scheme shall have been devisel which may produce
the beneficial results which are commonly ascribed
to the system of purchase.
The chief advantages of the system are said to be,
that it facilitates the retirement of officers, and
thereby accelerst a promotion in the army, which
would otherwise stagnat 5 during a period of con-
tinue I peace ; also it is said to tiff oil to officers a
security against the influence of favour, enabling
each officer to obtain his advancement by his own
means, without being dependent on the goodwill of
the government or on the patronage of higher
authorities. In order fairly to c )nsider the evidence
which has beeu given in support of the •purchas •
system, it will be convenient first to examine its
effects upon the retirement of officers.
The military ,farce of a state is efficient in
proportion as it is ready to take the field, and
to enter upon the fatigues and hardships of a
campaign. For this purpose it is essential
that the great majority of the officers should not
only be well acquainted with the duties of their
profession, but should also be qualified by their
strength and vigour to sustain the exertionsinsepa-
rable from active warfare. A lengthened period of
peace renders it difficult to keep any military corps
in a state of efficiency ; a scheme of retirement,
therefore, which induces old officers to withdraw
from the army, and which replaces them by younger
men, must it is said, be beneficial to the country ;
and this benefit is still greater if effected without
any cost to the'conntry. In the year 1840 a com-
mission on naval and military promotion of which
the late Duke of Wellington and other high mili-
tary auth vities were members, reported strongly
in favour of the purcha e system, and declared that
the practical advantages of the system had b- en
proved by its effects during 24 years of peace. The
condition of the- Ordnance corps, where the pur-
chase system has never been introduced, but where
the system of seniority exclusively prevails, was
contrasted with that of the rest of the army, and it
was shown that the officers of this corps having no
inducement to retire remained in.the service far
b-yond the age which wis desirable for the effi-
ciency of the corps. The commission on army pro-
motion, which reported in the year 1854, again ad. '
verted to this subject, and observed, " in the ord-
nance c ops not only the average age of the officers
is great r than in the corresponding ranks of the
army, but moreover the average is not made up of
that variety of ages which is to be found in the
army, and which gives to the public service the
advantage of having a few officers in each of the
higher ranks of greater physical vigour than the
rest. From the report of this commission, it is,
however, manifest that the purchase system cannot
be depended upon as in itself sufficient, during a
period of peace, to secure in the higher ranks of
the army a body of officers endowed with the phy-
sical and mental energies requisite for those who
may be called uporj. to superintend active opera-
tions in the field. On this account the commission
recommended various measures with the view of
facilitating promotion, and they also advised that
the'principle of selection should behad recourse to in
the appointments to situations of command, which
had previously been according to seniority.
The witnesses who have advocated the mainte-
nauce of the purchase system insist upon the ad-
vantage which it affords of facilitating retirement.
Upon this point our attention was directed to the
practice of the Indian army, where, without any
recognised system of purchase, a custom of receiv-
ing money for retirement prevails, and is said to be
beneficial to the service. In the Indian army pro-
motion is strictly governed by seniority ' • it is a sys-
tem of regimental promotion up to the rank of
major, and exchanges are not permitted. Above
the rank of major officers rise by seniority in a ge-
neral list; but they have no claim to the command
of a regiment unless selected for it by the Cominau-
der-in-Chief. The Indian Government have had
recourse to several measures, in order to accelerate
promotion in their army. They give liberal pen-
sions to officers retiring, and since 1835 they grant
allowances in proportion to length of service, irre-
spective of the rank which the officer may have at-
tained. The strict adherence to the rule of promo-
tion by seniority has led to the adoption of a prac. ,
tice which is permitted by the authorities, though
not sanctioned by law, and which produces, as re-
gards retirement, a result somewhat similar to the
sale of commissions. The officers of a regiment sub •
scribe amongst themselves and make up a purse,
to induce a senior officer to retire. Contributing is
optional ; but in most cases a young man would
sooner incur pecuniary inconvenience than with-
hold his aid from a scheme so popular in the regi-
ment. The practice of making up a purse applies
chiefly, it is said, to the rank of major, though it
occurs also in lower ranks. From the evidence as to
the effects of this system, and the unwillingness of
officers to retire'without a contribution, iu addition

to the pension allowed to them, it may he inferred
that, if the officers of the Indian army were left with
no other inducement to retire except the allowance
granted by Government, the regiments would b 3
tilled with ohlofficers, and the efficiency of the army
would be impaired. Withall the advantages which
have been derived from this practice and from the
liberality of the Indian Government, it neverthe-
less appears, from the able report made by the late
Governor-General, Lord Dalhousie, that the condi-
t on of the Indian army and the exigencies of the
public service, will probably render it necessary t)
apply the principle of selection, where as yet the
rule of seniority has prevailed. In considering the
p )licy of abolishing purchase in the British army,
and the best means of maintaining the current of
promotion, if purchase should be abolished, we
c innot recommend the adoption of the regulations
of the Indian army. To make seniority the unva-
rying rule of promotion would, in our opinion, b 3
an ill-advised course. The objection justly urged
against the system of purchase, namely, that under
it no provision is made for securing to the country
the services of men best qualified by military ex-
perience and talent, would equally apply to the
rule of exclusive seniority, with the added incon-
veniences of mere retarded promotion, and a
heavier charge on the revenue for retiring allow-
ances sufficient to keep up the current of promo-
tion.
Considering the practice of the Indian service to
be ill-suii el to the British army, we next directed
our attention to the systems of promotion and re-
tirement adopted in foreign countries, and more
particularly to the military regulations of France.
Until the middle of the last century, or even later,
commissions in the French army could only be oh-
tailie I by favour of the Crown, or by favour of offi-
ceis in high command. Those persons were alone
eligible who were of a recognised deescent; advance-
ment was attainable by payment of money; promo-
tion from the ranks was unknown ; and the military
reputation of France flourished under a system
which is new abolished and forgotten. During the
reign of Louis XVI. great alterations in the organi-
sation of the French army were in course of intro-
duction, when the revolution led to are-organisation
of the whole military system, and the regulations
which were introduced during the time of the Repub-
lie, and under the first Napoleon, have been again
frequently reviewed and modified by succeeding go-
vernments. Many important regulations date only
from the year 1848 ; but the evidence which we
have collected refers to the system as it is at present
fixed, comprising the modes of admission, of pro-
motion, and of retirement. Public examiners are
appointed, who go through the country and hold ex-
aminations in the principal towns ; they are assisted
by the officers of the several garrisons. Any young
men may present themselves as candidates, and if
they are found physically qualified for the army,
hey are examined in mathematics, in history, in
geography, and in fortification. Those wile satisfy
the examiners are sent to the milit :ry college of St.
Cyr ; but as the number of candidates -usually ex-
ceeds the number of vacancies in the college those
who pass the best examinations are preferrod. A
young man when admitted into the college of St.
Cyr is considered as having enlisted in the army.
He remains in the college for two years • the cost
of his maintenance and education being defrayed by
big family, un'ess they apply to the Gov( irnment
and show that they are too poor, in which case he,Atis assisted by a contribution from the State.
the end of the two years he is again examieled , and
if he satisfies the examiners he receives his com-
mission ; if he is unsuccessful, which, however,
rarely occurs, he must go into the yanks of the
army. By this mode a portion varying fi •om one-
third to two-thirds of officers enter the arm y. The
remainder enter from the ranks; haTin g passed
through the various grade of non-commitssit )ned. offi-
cers. Under this system of admission the
.great
m ijority of officers depend for their livel;hood en-
tirely on their pay. They live, theref,ork in such