Mr. Trevelyan made the best speech of the evening. He
quoted the late General Havelock's assertion that "he was sick for years in waiting for promotion, that three sots and two fools had pur- chased over him, and that if he had not had a family to support he would not have served another hour." Mr. Trevelyan main- tained that the cost of the regulation and non-regulation price of commissions would be in all £11,000,000, to be spread over a very long time ; -that it was far better to get rid of purchase finally even at a greater cost, than adopt Mr. Rylands' proposal of paying only the regulation price, and allowing the bonus system to grow up again for the future. He estimated the cost of retirement pensions at no more than about half a million annually, and main- tained that if the honorary colonelcies, the half-pay list, and other allowances for officers not on active service, are reckoned, we pay at least as much now, so that no new vote would be required for this purpose ; while with the abolition of purchase we might save the cost of Army agents and the extra cost of exceptional corps. On the whole, Mr. Trevelyan's speech was the most convincing and exhaustive reply to the friends of purchase given in the debate.
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