Mr. Trevelyau brought on his motion to abolish Purchase and
assign a fixed proportion of commissions to men from the ranks on Tuesday. We have noticed the debate elsewhere, but may remark here that the Liberals need no aid so much as that of an experienced soldier of Liberal opinions. Since Sir de Lacy Evans died they have not had one, and their opponents, with the usual arrogance of professionals, overwhelm their opponents with charges of ignorance. Let a man who has studied the subject all his life make some trumpery blunder about a special privilege in the Guards, and he is pronounced by the Colonels incompetent to reason on the proper method of organizing an army. A General of experience, with a habit of speaking and a bitter tongue—the sort of member Sir W. Mansfield, for example, could be—would be an invaluable ally to the Liberal cause. Mr. Trevelyan impaired his speech by trying to avoid this rock, and so becoming technical, and was altogether too timid about expense. When the time comes for action, Mr. Gladstone will find the money fast enough, say, by quadrupling the tax on armorial bearings. Flunkeyism is an endless resource in this country.
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