Mr. Cardwell on Monday carried his Recruiting Bill through .Committee.
The object of this Bill, which is greatly disliked by the soldiers in the House, is to exchange the present ten-year term of service for a twelve-year term, six years of which will be passed in the Reserve. Power is also taken to reduce active-service men -to three years. The objects, of course, are to attract recruits, and to form a cheap Reserve-; and the first will be attained, as any -soldier can re-enlist, and count all his time. Short periods attract, lout the second object will, we fear, be missed. We are not stern ,enough in this country to rely fully on reserves coming up when wanted. The Bill is good so far as it goes, but it is a mere .palliative, the true alternatives being either conscription on the Prussian plan, or as absolute a freedom for the men as we accord -to the officers. To make the latter system succeed, however, com- missions must be open to the men, every officer must be taught to -control them as he would if they were free, and the pay must be 10s. a week and all found. Those changes would give us any number of -men ; but then merit, and not money, would make the officer, and -that would not do.
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