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ait ¦ ¦ MascblSI, 1855.] tgl IliEliA&B-m...
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LO.TIIS KOSSUTH IN, DEFENCE; OF I HUNGAR...
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THE SAEBTXF OE NEWSPAIPEBS'SUNvDEB THE N...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Purchase Sxstem. Attention Hassagaia...
vrtfo-didrtiiiit * pjece ofwocE So . fac . so bad , ;; commissions were made legally saleable , and ,, byTandrby , towards the . close o £ the- reign off Gboege III . ' , Government : undertook tovegw late the-tariff of prices for commissions ? instead : of allowing their , value- ; to-be- determined byi " the higgling ; of the market . " You- would say , that , was a . reasonable and good regukvtion . But : reasonable regulations for bad tbiogs neveriseem-to thrive . The reasonable regulation in this case was a decided violation
of the : principles of free trade , for when a public commission became a marketable commodity , and the honour of serving the Queen one of-the public " stocks , " its price was subject * to the laws of supply and' demand . What has been the result of attempting to withdraw it from the operation of ' those laws ? Notwithstanding the fact , " that to give or take a a ' higher than the regulation price renders the buyer liable to be cashiered , and ^ the seller to conviction for a misdemeanour , it is a regular thing to exact and receive a much , higher
price than the regulation price . If an officer is poor or conscientious , and insists on paying only the regulation price , his life is . made- intolerable to him in his regiment—and naturally , for he has sought to diminish the value of the property common to all his comrades of the . mess . So that even this- boasted , regimental system , of our . so-called , army is good only for the privates and ; non-commissioned officers * And . why ?; Because they- are neither promoted by- seniority nor purchase , but by merit . And . iff good sergeants can be ' got under this = system , why not good captains , good majorsy good lieutenant-colonels ?
The-whole question is begged by those who oppose the abolition of _ the system of- purchase , when they say that the sergeants are not fit for promotion ^ that good officers cannot be go t from the ranks , that labourers are destined to be privates , and gentlemen destined to be officers . One would think there was really some broad line of demarcation between Bkowk , the ploughman , and the Honourable Brown , of Brown Hall . One would think that all the
Honourable Browns in the army are well-educated men , having decidedly military talents , and that the other Browns only have talents for fighting and the goose step . The real question iiV' ^ bind ~^^ t ~ "th ^~ rMks"furnish ~"' arfair ''' proportion of military talent if promotion went by merit instead of by gold ? Would not the army , as a profession , be swept clear of the
ephemera that now don its gay garniture for a few years , and be filled with men who make soldiering a business ? We are told that ' the army would be made " mercenary" if men were promoted by merit ; and this by the very men who make a traffic of her Majesty ' s commission , and who invest in sabres and epaulettes , as other men invest in shares and trade .
We are told that this system of purchase saves the country a heap of money . It does nothing of the kind . Under the delusion , that the pay of an officer is only interest on capital invested , and that other delusion , that it is cheaper to let a man ., realise an annuity by selling his commission , what * do we get ? Why , wo get an inefficient , ill-instructed army , which totally breaks down when put to the rough test of continuous war . Efficiency is the true measure of cost . That is expensive "whioh does not do its work . when wanted ; , that is .-cheap which easily and completely , accomplishes the purpose for which it is designed . The millions spent on the British army are the price we pay for the continuance of that system of which promotion by purchase is a glaring illustration . The truth is that this practice , legal but coflrcipit ' is one of the things that prevent the British army , from being , a truly national force . It is the most Tory ^ of all . our institutions )
exoegfc , perhaps ^ . tiuarsGhtMreli ^ wbjerej : similar pciEU } ipler |) revailar ^ - » daais « k ) ajby prarchaase . ^ The coiamissionyipreserve ^ isf oix & -of' the' last rel i cs * of ? those- privileges ,, ssouodixws vand'so /' trajusty that revolutions almost < are « required 1 r to sweep- away . The Ihrke of Wellington ' never minced the matter't' -i— . . "It is 'the promotion by purchase , " ' said the Dukfe , . " ' which , brings ' inta the service men of fortune' and
education (?) ,. men who have-sonQQ ^ connexion . with the interests and fortunes , of , the country , besides , the commissions which they hold from her Majesty . It is this- circumstance which" exempts the British army from- the character--of'"being a ' mercenaryarmy , ' and has rendered . it » employra « ntrfor-nearly a century ^ a » d a - hal # nofe- only : not inconfeistea * with the constitutional privileges iof the country / but . safe and beneficial . "
On this we need not say one word of comment . The Duke , of Welilington , did < not always escape from the . influence ofi paity political , prejudices . Had he been lessi of . a Tory . it is possible that , the : British aarmyvin the Crimea , would have- been more efficienty . and the campaign of . 1854 Jess . anopprobiunion- our military fames .
Ait ¦ ¦ Mascblsi, 1855.] Tgl Ilielia&B-M...
ait ¦ MascblSI , 1855 . ] tgl IliEliA & B-m Sm
Lo.Tiis Kossuth In, Defence; Of I Hungar...
LO . TIIS KOSSUTH IN , DEFENCE ; OF I HUNGARIAN KKF . QBM ^ . We . have received the- folid wing letter ) and give it-ail ' . the . prominence we can > :- — , ( To the Editor qf ' -the * Leader ^ 8 v South ; Bank ,. Regent ' s'ParkjMkrch' 2 * , 185 Sr Sir , —I have been taken aghast , by seeing in . the last -week ' s number of the Leader , the astounding , statement-that "it is Austria who abolished the class distinctions and odious privileges of the nobles in Hungary—Austria who has rendered all equal before the law , has introduced railways , and placed Hungary in a position to develop her material and poli * tieaf resources . "
I cannot think—judging from the general character of your estimable paper—that you could have had tlie intention deliberately to insult the honour of my nation . I must therefore attribute that'misatatenient to an utter unacquaintance with the : past : and contemporary history of Hungary . But I beg leave to express my supreme astonishment at this unacquaintance , after having seen the cause of my native country stand for years so prominently before the eyes of the civilised world , that ' so much knowledge of its history , has become a household tale almost in every cottage on both sides ]} of the Atlantic , as should have protected the honour of the Hungarian nation from such an insulting outrage .
That statement , Sir , is so astoundingly false , as if the' writer" of that- article -would-undertake to advance that it is Satan who died for the redemption of mankind upon the Cross on Golgotha . The honour of my nation , which has aright , to be held sacred in her great misfortune , commands me to declare , that before God , before the world , and history > I give a denial to that statement the most flat , the . most peremptory , and the most unconditional , of which the human tongue is capable .. I declare the statement to be the reverse , of truth
and of history . I invite you to look to the declaration of 1 the Independence of Hungary , to our laws of 1848-, and . to the history of my nation ' s long and consistent first strife and exertion ; their sacrifices , and . at lost struggle f 6 r freedom to all , without distinction of race orcreed , and equality of duties and of rights . I claim from you to respect her national honour ,-if you do not pity her unmerited misfortune . I beg from , your equanimity that this tribute ; to truth , and this reparation of a mistake so strange , that it baffles imagination , bo placed conspicuously before your readers in the next number of your paper ; and have the honour to be , with particular
consideration-Sir , your obedient and . humble servant , L . Kossuth . It is not for . us to enter into any controversy with the Governor of Hungary j a man who has occupied so . conspicuous a position in ad * vancing its reforms , in making a stand against the unconstitutional proceedings of the Government at Vienna in 1848 , ana in expounding the claims of Hungary , during her worst days , throughout the world . As- a journalist , as a conductor of affairs , as a statesman , M . Kos-8 UTH lias an acquaintance with Hungary which would preclude us from entering into any statement 1 counter - to his . We should not
¦ jj 'fight- withpequal * weapons * ' a « ifw *& w »» i » desire to be on opposite sides . It iS 4 ^ t € Mt * ue that the reform © of ' Htm $ * f « y b » ga ^«> quarter ofr a ; centroy-befowtbe' revotetibiijr and " fy hafc tihb Hungarians themselves « had ? takenthe * l « a « tetw » A made very ^ greak ^ progaress iB'the » du ? eo * ion-u * 4 i c < mated byvouT distinguished corres ^ wdenfci Weshiould-be ' quite * unafcle * Prefer- to »* tl * fc " bills proposed ^ bytheitemp . OTary'GdverameBi'pf 18 ' 4 # ; but > we believe" the ¦» faet = that \ the partfccnlar measures to * whieh , we alluded ? weue ^ passad under- the ¦ authority of the Austrian ; G © ver * m raent after that ' of ' the revolution hadiceaae * -
to > exist ; There is no denial in twe » f © regomg letter of the statement that the Austrian Government has passed measures extremely useful to the body of the -Hungarian people ,- o * ' tbat ifci has carried out Imperial improvements ¦ of the most-important * kind , political as welt as economical ; Indeed , we- haw to regret that in the contradiction which M . ' Kossuth has . thought it necessary to _ make there are not stated any of those facts which would have supplied the deficiency that he . observes in . our own reference ., to tlife . sufcuecfi ^
The Saebtxf Oe Newspaipebs'sunvdeb The N...
THE SAEBTXF OE NEWSPAIPEBS'SUNvDEB THE NEW BILL * .. T & E . debate on ; Monday night can hardly'fail to elevate the Commons- of England in thV eyes of the natiom Foi" more than a- month past the power of the press ; - in very-influential quarters , has been put' forvrardr to- indhco honourable members to view with distrust the Government Stamp and Postal Bill . ^ Ye # nevertheless and notwithstanding , an independent and powerful . majority voted for thewider freedom of the press of England— at . a time when the nations around are dreadingthe public criticism , which English politicians are willing , to dare . The result will do no less honour to their spirit than to their judgment .. A hundred years have elapsed . since Wal ? - pole imposed Parliamentary fetters on . tha periodical . press of this , country . The . eminenear to which . British Journalism has . attained . under these disabilities , foreshadows ,. we believe , tha progress it will make in moderation * purity ^ and strength , under th © reign , of . freedom * --that » universal condition of growth and developments Practically , _ Sir George "Goknewaiie : Lewis ' s- bill bids fair toT work ^ we ll . It waft
secure the right of posting and riposting tt > all existing newspapers , and to air that may be registered as such . Whoever ; therefore ; . - requires the postal privileges will' enjoy it as now ; and whoever does not want it need not pay for it . All who wish to post and re-post papers to their friends , can still do so ; and all who require papers posted to them can have them posted at the same cost as now ; and all who can get papers at their own doors without
the intervention of the Fost-office , will no longer be taxed for the convenience of those who cannot . This arrangement will greatly benefit the existing newspapers . Where one remote resident is now content to receive & journal by the charitable forethought of some : metropolitan relative or friend , ton will be . inclined , and five will be able , to buy-copras for themselves . Human nature everywhere .
shows that a penny compulsory tax acts as ai greater impediment to expenditure , than twoc pence which'is optional . Since the newspaper stamp was reduced ' from fourpence to ono penny , thousanda ot * newspapers have been added to *•'?»; circulation . So it will be again . -The-thintf for knowled ge—democratic at the commencement—always ends by being aristocratic , uv becoming the thirst for the best . Cheap and common journals will arise ,, but only to pavq - tho way for dearer and better . II was so when * SirEowAKDBuLWBR Lytto ^ S *!!! was passed ; .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 31, 1855, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31031855/page/15/
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