The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-20 00:00:00

MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT.

Mr. O'BEIRNE asked the Vice-President of the Board
of Trade when ho proposed to introduce the bill which he
promised last session for the consolidation an 1 amendment
of the Merchant Shipping Acts?

Mr. CAVE said ho could give no answer to the ques-
tion during the
_present state of the public business.
THE SCOTCII REFORM BILL.

Mr. COGAN, referring to the proceedings which took
place last night with respect to the Scotch Rsform Bill,
asked whether it was proposed to go on with it on Mon-
day next.
Mr. DISRAELI said on Thurslay next, with the per-
mission of the house, he would state the course the Go-
vernment proposed to take with respect to the measure in
question.
SALE AND PURCIIA.SE OF COMMISSIONS.

Mr. TREVELYAN then rose to - call the at-
tention of the house to the present system of
sale and purchase of commissions in the army.
He condemned the system as being one that en-
tirely precluded any man of merit, who unfortunately was
without the possession of inflaencs, from getting that
which was his reward for long service. Without a man
had a long purse he was not at all likely to make much
progress in the way of promotion, because if he had not
the means of purchasing the commissions as they
became saleable, many young men belonging to rich
families purchased the commissions and thus walke 1 over
the heads of many experienced officers, although they
only entered the army in many instances for pure pastime.
(Lear, hear.) The system was a very ba 1 one, and the
sooner it was abolished the better it would be for the
efficiency of her Majesty's service. As a proof that
the abolition of purchase would result in good,
he need only point to the Artillery and Engineers,
which stood deservedly high in estimation, and
iu both of which purchase was linkuown. The lion. gen-
tleman concluded by moving the) following resolutions :
1. That the purchase and sale of military commissions be
discontinued after a data to be fixed fur that purpose.
2. That from the same date every officer on full
pay be credited with the then existing value of
his
commissions, taking into consideration the ,regulation
and the extra regulation prices. 3. That tee sum so
credited be paid by the Government to any offico. re-
tiring from the service at any time subsequent to.
the above-mentioned date under circumstances which
would previously have enabled him to sell his comraiesiond.'
4. That a portion of the sum so credited be paid to any
officer promoted to be effective Itajor General. b. Tut

--
after the above-mentioned date the regimental. pro-
motion up to the lank of captain be made accord-
ing to a combined system of seniority and selec-
tion, and above that rank by selection. 6. That
suitable conditions of retirement be provided at the
expense of the State for officers of every rank. 7.
That a fixed proportion of the vacant commissions in each
regiment be filled by the promotion of qualified non-com-
missioned officers.

Mr. MELLEY seconded the motion.
Capt. VI VIAN denied that the present purchase system
was money against merit. He moved, as an amendment,
"That purchase above the rank of captain in the
cavalry and the infantry of the line be abolished,
and the reduction bf the number • of regi-
mental commissioned ranks to three, viz.: —Lieu-
tenant-Colonel, Captain, and Lieutenant." The amount
of money required to- carry out the proposal of
the hon. member would amount to no less a sum than
.£7,1.2d,030. Quoting from Mr. O'Dowd's pamphlet, he
showed, putting the regulation value of the commissions.
at £7,126,030, and the extra pries paid at £5,019,000, and
allowing 20 per cent. for casualties, that it would cost
£10,000,000, spresd over 20 years, to buy up the veste;_i
interests of the army, and in addition to the first exper
.se
there must be a perpetual additiou to the cost of reti' .ing
allowances of at least £1,000,000 a year. Admitting, how-
ever, that the system NN a s overgrown and was wr,akened
by abuses, Captain Vivian propounded a plan of his own
(which he moved as au amendment), by whir purchase
is abolished above the rank of captain (as is tl..e practice in
the Brigade of Guards), the abolition of the ranks of major,
cornet, and ensign, so that en officer wilt,. only have one
step to buy—from lieutenant to captain—and the institu-
tion of a course of practical professional training as a nee:
ccssary preliminary to a commission. in the purchase corps.
dle advocated also a considerab!e reduction in the number
of regimental officers.

The original resolutions vrere supported by Mnl
O'REILLY and Colonel SYKEN and opposed by Colons
NORTH.

General PEEL, not defending the origin or the anoma-.
lies of the purchase system, pointed out that in all waNs
of life—in the Church and the Bar, for instance—mor.i oy
gave great advantages to its possessors over their CO_ma
petitors, and that the system had taken its first rise ire the
niggardliness of Parliament. To do justice to all c,ificers
who would be affected by the abolition of purchr.aa, con-
siderably more than £10,000,000 would be required. Up
to the present time the supply of offioers had always ex-
ceeded the demand ; he objected strongly to a change that
would entirely alter the character of our officors and ex.-
chide men of property from the army. The nor.-purchasing
officers, he maintained, gained more than any others f:ona,
the system by the constant and quick promotion which, it
secured. But he also objected to Mr. Trevolyan's mode of
abolishing purchase. Promotion by seniority would pro-
duce stagnation, while promotion by selection must create.
jealousies and suspicions of unfairness. if the Commandec-
in-Chief were empowered to promote any officer he choee
to the command of a regiment, he must also have power
to remove commanding officers without a court-martial
and the inevitable result would be the inundation of tr
house with complaints and memorials. The last resol
tion would introduce two different classes of officers i• tto
the army, one possessing a highly scientific education; the
other, merely practical and professional, and must le:,ost to
general confusion.

Mr. GitENFELL objected to both the plans berobro the
house, but, thinking this an inopportune moment. ;or pro-
nouncing an opinion, he proposed to .move the " previous
question."

General HERBERT argued in favour of the purchare
system as the most economical means of qu'.ckening pro-
motion, but consented to its abolition if the, nouutry would
provide a fair system of retirement.

Sir H. VERNEY looked for a solution from short terms
of service and improved military educv.tion.

Colonel LOYD LINDSAY argued strongly in favour
of the purchase system, which was as emphatically con-
demned by llir. Otway.

Lord ELCIIO denied that the system was preju-
dicial to indieriduals or to the public interest ; on the
contrary, it secured both against the stagnation of
promotion and the jobbery and favouritism which must
be the results of systems of seniority or selection. To the
promotion of non-commissioned officers within reasonable
limits he did not object, though he doubted whether they
themselves greatly desired it ; but he pointed out that
they might be very advantageously promoted to such posts
as paymasters, quartermasters, officers of the Transport
Corps, and the like ; and the clerkships in the War-office
and the liorseptiards:ought to be filled by retired soldiers.
No authority, he remarked, had been cited in favour of the
change, while all the civil and military authorities—com-
missioned officers, both purchasing and non-purchasing,
non-commissioned officers and privates—were all against
it, and he calculated that the hobby would cost the country
not less than £20,000,000.
Sir J. PAKINGTON admitted that the system of pur-
chase was full of serious anomalies, and would not now be
resorted to if we were seeking to establish a system of
promotion for the first time. At the same time he pointed
out serious fallacies in the objections urged against it
Fur instance, all the talk about the advantage which it
gave to the rich over the poor, for the Lon-purchasing
bebefited by it More than any by the quick promo-
tio.t which it caused. So, to.), it was a delusion to sup-
pose that another effect was to officer the army entirel3
trout the aristocracy, as any one might see by a glance at the
Army List or Gazette. To the promotion of non-cuturnis-
biolltd ,tll,:.ers from the ranks iu a definite proportion he was
strongly opposed. Tue present system of promotion from
the r.iuk.s .could not be improved on; but in most cases
this pro.notion was an unwelcome boon, and Lord Elcho's
suggestion as to the employment of retired soldiers as
clerks had Wan carried out to a considerable extent in tho
War-office. Touching on the difficulties of retirement,
Sir John maintained that the example of the French army
which had been referred to was ono to be avoided, and he
mentioned that, though not prepared to take up Mr.
Childers' costly plan of retirement fur the non-purchase
corps, he hoped before the close of the sessien to produce
a plan which would be satisfactory to all parties. Admit-
ting that Captain Vivian's scheme had been sanctioned by
high authority—though it would cost between a million
and a half and two millions—he could not support it at the
present moineut.

After some few words in reply from Mr. TRETELYAN,
who admitted that the objection of expense was formid-
able, the motion and Captain Vivian's amendment were
both withdrawn.

Mr. ACLAND called attention to the numerous incon-
veniences arising from the want of au authority specially
charged with the duty of considering questions affecting
agriculture and the food of the people. He moved for a
committee to inquire whether a department should not be
created, responsible solely to Parliament, to which might
be committed various functions affecting the agricultural
interest, and among the chi9f of these he mentioned the
supervision of our roe', river, and drainage systems, and
of our local administration, the construction of cheap rail-
way breaches, the collection of accurate information in a
compendious and accessible form relating to agricultural
matters, and inquiries into the operation of the exist-
ing Health Acts, Cattle Acts, and the Veterinary De-
partment

The motion was supported by Mr. Reai, Mr. Goschen,
Mr. Carnegie, Mr. M‘Lagan, and Mr. Islewdegate.
Mr. HARDY, in reply, maintained that much of the
confusion and conflict of jurisdictioa arose, not from the
fault of the Executive or local authorities, but from the
action of Parliament, which had gone on creating fresh
local authorities on every subject. The expediency of
placing all matters relating to health under one head hat
been very seriously considered by the Government in con-
nection with the project for creating a Minister of Educa-
tion. No doubt, many of these local matters would be bAter
managed by a central department, but the movement to
supersede these small local boards must come from below.
Admitting that an inquiry was desirable, he recommended
Mr. Acland not to press his motion now.
The motion was accordingly withdrawn.
Mr. BOUVERIE obtained a committee to inquire into
the management of the Queen Anne's Bounty Board.
Bills were brought in by Mr. Dillwyn to amend the law
relating to Fairs and Markets, and by Mr. Adderley to re-
lieve the Consolidated Fund from the charge of future
bishops and other persons in the West Indies.

Some orders of the day were forwarded a stage, and the
house adjourned at 20 minutes after 1 o'clock.

111AREETS.—(7 his Day.)