Mr. Trevelyan brought on his motion for abolishing military sinecures
on Monday in a very full House. He showed that we had 580 " Generals," who cost the country £371,000 a year, in sinecure colonelcies, half-pay, and the like, whereas we wanted at most but sixty, all of whom ought to be performing service. Any officer incapable of service ought to be placed upon the pension list, and the average pension of that rank should be assimilated to the average of an Admiral. Mr. Cardwell admitted that there were many abuses in the system, and that the list of General officers was too large, but said the real obstacle to reform was purchase. A man who waits to be a General does not sell. The best man usually waits. It is hard to cheat him of his reward in order to diminish the list. Mr. Trevelyan was defeated by 204 to 111, but he had done good. He had knocked one more nail into the coffin of the Purchase System.
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