The Express. — 1862-05-31 (London, England)

THE COMMAND OF REGIMENTS.—THE PURCHASE  SYSTEM.  On the motion for going into committee of supply, General Sir DE L. EVANS ruse, pursuant to notice, to move, "That in the opinion of this house no further postponement ought to take place in giving effect to the promiaow of government that the command of regiments should no longer be purchueable, and that the promotions to that rank should henceforth be regulated by *election upon the responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief." The hon. sad gallant general addressed the house for some time in support of his motion, but in so low a tone of voice as to oe utterly inaudible in the gallery. Lord STANLEY seconded the motion. Sir G. C. LEWIS said that in consequence of the amalgamation of the Queen's and the Indian army, there were to be twelve new regiments created, three of cavalry and nine of infantry, in which commissions would be given without purchase, and promotion would be by seniority up to the rank of field officer ; and until the government bad had experience of the system of non-purchase in these corps, which, however, had not yet been formed, it was not intended to act upon the decision which had been communicated to the house. But there were still other difficulties in the way of carrying out the recommendation of the commissioners, one of which was that a general abolition of the system of purchase in cavalry, guards, and line, would entail an expenditure of not lees than 7,156,0001 as compensation, and even for the more limited abolition in the case of heutenant-colonela pointed at in the motion, a sum of 494,6901. Ho could not, therefore, assent to the motion. General PEEL objected to the recommendation of the commission, and particularly to the House of Commons interfering with the command or the discipline of the army. The report of the commission was signed by six out of the ten members of which that body wan composed, while the majority of the military members protested against the decision of their colleagues. After some observations from Colonel NORTH, Lord STANLEY spoke at some length in defence of the recommendations of the commissioners, enumerated the various objections which were urged against the existing system of purchase, sod passed in review and combated those which were put forward in opposition to the proposal to grant promotion by selection, upon the responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief. The government might excuse themselves as they pleased, but as a cabinet they were certainly pledged to carry out the recommendations of the commissioners. They had formally given a pledge to do so in that house ; and although that pledge might go the way of some other pledgee, end this reform might go the way of some other reforms, the present was not an age that was likely to be tolerant of abuse ; and lie ventured to say that in a quarter of a century not a rag of the system of purchase would be remaining. Lord PALMERSTON opposed the motion, addressing himself particularly to the arguments of Lord Stanley, and justified the government for having changed their purpose. On a division the motion was negatived by 247 to 62. Colonel DICKSON directed attention to the recent agrarian murders perpetrated in Ireland, and in the course of the discussion the house was counted out.