for, and promotion in the Regiment accelerated. The reasons for these alterations being thus set out: "1st. That it will be a very great hardship where subalterns Regimental by misfortunes in recruiting have mis-spent the levy money, and outrun themselves so as not to be able to continue in the service; and if they cannot dispose of their Commissions, the debt must fall on the Regiment. Provision for "2ndly. In some cases, Officers die and leave great families in a starving condition, where it would be great charity Widows, &c. to permit the Commission to be disposed of, so as that the successors may give some consideration or allowance for the support of the widow and children; and "3rdly. Where Colonels shall judge it for the good of the service to desire Officers from other Regiments, who Promotion. are better qualified than those next in rank in their own, the matter might be easily compromised, and the said Officer satisfied with a small acknowledgment, as well as Our service better answered." of Feb., 171920. 36. In the following reign, though distasteful to the SoveRegulations reign, a more complete system was established. In the first place, by Warrant of February, 1719-20, a tariff of prices for every Commission was fixed by the Crown, and any Officer desiring to retire by sale was required to lodge a declaration at the War Office that he was willing to resign his Commission for the sum named in the Tariff. The appointment of the successor was not to be influenced by the seller, but left wholly with the Crown. Permission was also given to a purchasing Officer to sell in the same manner the Commission which he was relinquishing. A due succession in rank was secured by a provision that a Commission could only be sold to an Officer next in Rank-as a Colonel's Commission to a Lieutenant-Colonel, and so on through all Ranks to the lowest, as that a Lieutenant's could only be sold to an Ensign. To prevent inexperienced Officers rising to Rank too rapidly, the Regulation provided that no officer above a Lieu 1 Appendix XCII. 2 Mis. Bk. 523, p. 40, and Army Purchase, 1857, p. 322. 'Mis. Bk. 523, p. 177. tenant should be admitted to purchase any higher rank, unless he had served ten years as a Coinmissioned Officer. of 8th March, 37. In the next place, that the Regulation price only should be taken, and that the purchasers should not Regulations set up a right against the Crown to sell again, were 1721-2. the objects of the Royal Warrant of the 8th of March, 1721-2, which provided:-that the Colonel in recommending the Officer for a first Commission, or for promotion, should give a certificate in writing, under his hand, to the Secretary at War "that the Officer doth purchase according to the Regulation price, and no higher;" and further, "that the person so purchasing, or promoted by purchase, should have no pretension or title thereby to sell again hereafter." Purchase 38. The Colonel was the agent for the receipt of the purchase money, over which the Crown, acting upon the The Crown advice of the Board of General Officers, and through exercised an the Secretary at War, exercised complete control-trol over the appropriating the amount in part to the payment of Money. Regimental (and even doubtful debts), and the residue to benefit the wife of the Officer, if deserted by him. Whether a Commission should or should not be sold has always been left to the absolute discretion of the Crown; and, after a sale permitted, the purchase money has, in many instances, been considered as a donation from one to another servant of the Crown, or directed to be paid into some other channel which the King thought would be more for the honour of the Service. A.D. 1766. Prices re-ad Justed by Board of 39. The prices of Commissions have from time to time been altered and re-adjusted by the Crown, as the circumstances of the Service seemed to require. In 1765 a doubt appears to have been raised whether the Commissions in regiments serving in and out of Europe were of the same value, or ought therefore to be sold at the same price. To consider this, and to readjust the prices of all Commissions, were matters referred to the Board of General Officers, who, after "duly weighing the pay Officers and their Report confirmed by the Crown. All first appointments originated with the Colonel in former times, and this custom still prevails in the Guards. 2 Appendix XCIII. and rank attendant on the several Commissions," declared their opinion" unanimously that the price should be uniform, whether the Regiment was serving in or out of Europe; but that if any deficiencies should arise on the sale of Commissions of Cornet, Ensign, or Second-Lieutenant, the loss- should be borne by the selling officer." This Report was accepted by the King on the 8th February,' and confirmed by the Royal Warrant of 10th February, 1766,2 which ordered, "That in all cases where We shall permit any of the Commissions to be sold, the sum received shall not exceed the prices set down in the said Report." Regulations 1783. 40. Hitherto the sale of full-pay Commissions only had been sanctioned, but by the Regulation of 14th of 14th Aug., August, 1783, exchanges from full to half-pay, and vice versa, were provided for by a Schedule showing the value, and the difference in value, between each full and half-pay Commission. If an officer on full exchanged to halfpay, receiving the difference, he made a partial sale of his Commission, and could not return to full-pay; if he exchanged, without receiving the difference, he could return to the Service. The Regulation also provided that on applying for leave to buy or sell, the officer should state, on his honour, that the Regulation price and no more was given; and that if his word as an officer and gentleman were forfeited he would, according to the rules of the Service, be liable to be dismissed from the Service.3 Establish Reserve Fund mander-in 41. Upon the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief in 1793, the Purchase System came more immediately ment of the under his direction, and by a Circular Letter of 31st by the Com- November, 1793, to Colonels of Cavalry Regiments Chief in 1795. from the Adjutant-General (written by direction of Lord Amherst), the price of Cornetcies was reduced to 700 guineas, and remained so reduced by virtue of this order without the official knowledge or sanction of the Secretary at See Lord Barrington's Letter set out in extenso at p. xxv. of 'Report of Naval and Military Promotion,' 1840. 2 Army Purch. Rep., 1857, pp. 322-335. 3 See 10 H. D. (2), p. 1040, and par. 121, post. War. The Reserve Fund may be held to date from 1795, and consisted of the proceeds of the sales of Commissions made for other purposes than to benefit the retiring officer, and thrown into one common Fund held by the Agents (Greenwood & Co.) under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief. These purposes, five in number, were stated to Parliament in 1807 to be as follows:1stly. For gentlemen, who, having raised regiments for Rank or Commissions under Letters of Service, had not received Commissions in those regiments because the men had been drafted or disbanded. Objects of it. 2ndly. For the owners of Ensign's Commissions unsaleable in time of war, and therefore filled in by the Commander-inChief without purchase. 3rdly. For the owners of Regimental Staff Commissions the sale of which had been prohibited, including Army Chaplaincies valued to the Colonel at 7007. in Cavalry and 5007. in Infantry. 4thly. For the Half-pay Fund, which needs a separate explanation. 5thly. For the Widows and Relations of Officers and Private Soldiers. 3 Half-pay 42. The origin of the Half-pay Fund dated from the reduction of the Army in 1802. At that time the Origin of the purchase money paid for a Commission appears to Fund. have been considered by the Commander-in-Chief as a charge bearing interest upon the Vacancy. In the case of Cornetcies or Ensigncies, a reducible Lieutenant was put in to the vacant Commission at the lesser pay until a vacancy in the Lieutenant's arose, and the Cornetcy or Ensigney was sold as a half-pay Commission, viz., by a sale, and by reduction to half-pay on the next day. During the Peace these sales were readily effected as the Commission rose in value according to the date of the vacancy, the purchaser obtaining rank and half-pay from the date of reduction; but at the outbreak of the War they be 1 Letter to General Marquis Townshend and endorsement thereon of 1806. 2 The sale of Staff appointments was not sanctioned by the Crown in Jan. 1760. Lord Palmerston's 'Memorandum,' Appendix CXXIX. 62 Com. Journ., p. 931. The same principle continued in force till about 1857. VOL. II. G came unsaleable, and the owners appealed to the Commanderin-Chief for relief. This was proposed to be given by valuing vacant Commissions at a computation, say twelve years' purchase for Commissions in the Guards, and ten years for the same in Infantry regiments, and charging these amounts on this fundcalled the Half-pay Fund-to be raised by sale of full-pay Commissions as they fell vacant to the Crown without purchase. 43. "This measure was represented by the Commanderin-Chief as "attended with the following good consequences: Benefits of the Commander-inChief's arrange ments. "1st. It retained many meritorious officers in the service who would otherwise have been reduced. "2nd. It not only lessened the Half-pay Establishment, but prevented many persons from purchasing Half-pay Commissions as Annuities, which was a common practice at the end of every war. "3rd. By paying off the claims, the persons who were entitled to the value can now only receive the interest on the regulated price from the day it became vacant to the period he is paid the value fixed on his Half-pay Commission; whereas, had it been sold, the purchaser must have received Half-pay from the date of his appointment. "This," the memorandum went on to state, "is attended with another advantageous circumstance, as it is understood that all savings from Half-pay are applicable to the Compassionate Fund, on which there are many demands, and from which grants are made from time to time by the Secretary at War, under whose control that fund is placed. "Besides the Commissions sold to pay off the claims alluded to, His Royal Highness has also directed that sums of money arising from officers repaying the difference they may have received on retiring to Half-pay when they cannot find others to exchange with them, should be applied to this fund; thereby enabling many officers to regain their rank who from temporary distress or other circumstances had been under the necessity of retiring to Half-pay. "Another addition to this fund arises from Commissions being sold for their full value, although the person retiring receives only the money actually paid for his Commission.” |