The only Tory Peer of consequence who broke fairly loose
from the ruck was Lord Derby, who, in the most serenely sensible and annoying manner warned the Peers to take care leet they made fouls of themselves. He disposed of the question of expense in a sentence, by saying that unless the Army were reduced, the expense' of abolishing Purchase would be as oppressive years hence as now, and might be even increased. As to delay, where was the dig- nity of delaying an inevitable reform, inevitable because no insti- tution could now stand which did not admit of defence before a partially educated electorate ? If you asked twenty people in the street about Purchase, ten would not know what you meant, and ten would.suppose that Government kept a shop for the sale of commissions. It was fair to say Government was now pledged to pay over-regulation prices, but who had pledged that final and very different tribunal, the electorate ? The Army had been offered fair terms, and on the experience of many years he urged the Peers to accept them, more especially as he had high legal authority for saying their consent was not required, and Purchase could be abolished by Warrant from the Crown. The general' effect of his speech was to convince all opponents of Purchase; and irritate its friends into defending it with arguments twice as fierce as their thoughts. Sensible people produce that effect some- times.
