The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-19 00:00:00

SALE AND PURCIIISE OF COMMISSIONS.

Air.- TREVELYAN then rose to call the at-
tention of the house to the present system of
sale and purchase of commissions in the army.
lie condemued the system as being one that en-
tirely precluded any in mu of merit, who unfortunately was
without the rossessiou '.if influeuce, from getting Viet
which was his reward for long sorvie Without a man
had a long purse ho was not at all likely to make much
progress in the way of peomution, because if ha had not
the means of purchasing the commissions as they
became satiable, many young men belonging to rich
fatuities purchased the commission, and thus walko I over
the heads of Enemy experienced officers, although they
only entered the army hi many instances for pure pastime.
(dear, hear.) The system was a very Lad 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 purchise would result in good,
he need only point to the Artillery
and Engineers,
which stood deservedly high iu estimation, and
in both of which purchase was unknown. The hon. gen-.
tleman concluded by moving the following resolutions:-
1. That the purchase and sale of military commissions be
discontinued after a date to be fixed for that purpose.
2. That from the seine date every officer on full
pay he credited with the then existing value of his
commissions, taking into consideration the regulation
and the extra regulation prices. 3. That the sum so
credited be paid by the Government to any officer 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 commissions.
4. That a portion of the sum so credited be paid to any
officer promoted to be effective Major General. 5. That
after the above-mentioned date the regimental pro-
motion up to the rank of captain bo made accord-
ing to a comtined 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 iu each
regiment be tilled by the promotion of qualified non-com-
na-sioned officers.
Mr. MELLEY seconded the motion.
Capt. VI V.LAN denied that the present purchase system
was money against merit, lie moved, as an amendment,
e That purchase above the rank of captain in the
cavalry_ and the infantry of the line be abolished,
and the reduction of 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
£7,126,030.
(LEFT SPEAKING)

COURSE OF EXCHANGE—This Evening.

Amsterdam Short ... 11 17/ 11 18
Ditto
Rotterdam
Antwerp 25 37* 23 421

iirnsseli
liamburgn
Paris Short ... 25 15 ... 25 221
Ditto 3 Ms. ... 2 , 321 ... 25 40
Marseilles ... ... 25 32i ... 25 4J
Praukfort-on-the-Main ... ... 1201- ... 120}
Vienna — ~. 11 135 ... 11 90
Trieste — ... 11 85 ... 11 90
Petersburg
Berlin ... ... 6 26! ... 6 27}
Madrid — ... 481 ... 48.1
Cadiz
... 28 15 ... 28 25
Leghorn
Milan...
... 28 15 ... 28 25
Genoa
Naples ............ _ ... 28 15 ... 28 25
... 28 15 ... 28 25
..• .5
Palermo
Messina...-. ..
Lisbon — ••• bli ... bl f
Oporto •••• •••• ... 51 ... 511

Foreign Mail Packet List,

MAILS DUE.

&mania and New Zealand, via doutharnpton.....3lay 23.
Ditto. via Marseilles -... ..... ...May 18.
Ditto, via Panama ....... • ..• • • .... ........ ... gay 2i
Brazil, Buenos Ayres, and Monte Video June 4.
Ditto, by French paolat
Cape Verde. by Brazil paezet
cape of Good Hope. A.ooensiOn. and St. Helena ...June 12.
China, Penang. and Singapore. Via Southampton.. May 23.
Ditto, via Marseilles. • • . May 1 i.
Falkland Islands
Llibraltar, via Southampton . May 16.
inctia,vin Southampton ..... . ••• -••••
Ditto, via Slarse11. es
Malta, Egypt, 1t3... .........•.. ••• • 3tAy 16.
Ditto, Marseilles May —.
Mauritius, Cape of Good Hope, and Natal. via

Southampton
Ditto, alaraelltos %fay :8
Newfoundland ...... ...... ..... ...... ..... MAT 2)
eortugal .... ..... . ... ...June I.
_ _ __

Ditto, by p r.Ya le ship to Oporto ...........
Ditto t .tto to Lisbon ...... . .......
United States, t anada, California, dm, by British
.31 LI, 10
packet
Ditto, by L Lited ,tales packet ...............
Ditto ditto 'New Yort) ...................
Ditto ditto New York) .. ......... .......
Dina (Litt, (Baltimore) .......• ......
May 22.
Ditto, by Canadian packet .••• ••• • •
West Coast of Airi„a, Madeira, an Teneriiia May 2)
West Indies and Pal& (except Mexico and Baha-
mas)•
..... . May 17
Cuba and Mexico ..............................
29.
Bahamas, via New r Kay 0
BernlUdi, Saliflll...o II St 141131110