20 FEBRUARY 1875, Page 1

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE debate next Monday os Mr. Hardy's Bill for facilitating Ex- changes in the Army will, it is believed, be the first serious debate of the Session, and unless the War Office recedes, will be followed by a close divisior. As we have tried to show elsewhere, the effect of the Bill, intertional or unintentional, will be to restore Purchase, by allowing rich officers to pay comrades who stand above them to exchange out of their way, and it is doubtful whether the House, widen once aware of the facts, will sanction so grossly reactionary a proposal. At all events, it is clearly the duty of the liberals to maintain their policy, and insist on full debating at every stage of the Bill, so that the constitu- encies may have time to see who are the Menibers who propose to undo a work which has cost from six to eight millions.