PURCHASE-SYSTEM, a highly unpopular and much-misunderstood arrangement in the British army, by which a large proportion—more than half—of the first appoint ments of officers and their subsequent promotion used to be effected. It dates from the first formation of an English standing army, and was formally recognized in the reign of queen Anne. The system itself was very simple. A price was fixed by regulation for each substantive rank (see PROMOTION), viz.: Price. Difference.
Lieutenant-colonel £4500 • £1300 Major, ...... • 3200 1400 Captain.... 1800 1100 • Lieutenant.... 700 . 250 Cornet or ensign. ............ ....... 450 When any officer holding one of these regimental commissions desired to retire from the army. he was entitled to sell his commission for the price stipulated in the above table— £4,500 in the case of a lient.col. This sum was made un by the senior maj.. who was willing and able to purchase, buying the rank of lient.c61. for £1300; the senior cant..
Ming and able to purchase, buying a majority for £1400; a lieut. purchasing his cOrn pany for £1100; a cornet or ensign becoming lieut. on payment of £250; and, lastly, by the sale to some young gentleman of an cnsigncy or cornetcy for £450. In practice, fancy prices higher than the above were usually given, according to the popularity of a regiment. aud vested interests in these overregulation prices caused most serious com plications W Ilene ver 1110 government made any change affecting the promotion of pur chase officers The value If commissions in the guards was also greater but as they constitute but a few regiments, and arc mostly officered front the nobility, they do not need particular description.
No commission could be purchased by one officer unless another officer vacated his commission by its sale. Death vacancies, vacancies caused by a regiment, vacancies resulting from the promotion of colonels to be major-generals, were filled without purchase. usually by seniority. No rank above licut.col. could be purchased.
It is alleged with truth that purchase enabled the rich mum to step over the head of the poorer but perhaps better qualified non-purchasing officer; and that money decided where merit should be the only. guide. These tits:advantages, however, it is replied, were not tun mixed. Purchase, it is argued, introduced into the army men of a very high
class in society, who gave a tone to the whole of military life. A great proportion of these wealthy men entered with the intention of merely spending a few years in the army. This tended to keep the officers young—a great advantage; and, further, pro vided in the country, among its gentlemen, a body of men well adapted for commands in the militia and volunteers. Moreover, selection exercised arbitrarily, as it must be when the men from whom the selection is to be made are scattered all over the world, away from the selecting power, is liable to create dissatisfaction. Under purchase, exchange was a common thing; for the rich officers, for private reasons of locality, etc., were glad to change frequently- from regiment to regiment, entering in each ease at the bottom of the list of officers of their rank in their new regiment. This, of course, was an advantage to the non-exchanging officer, as it pushed him to the top; and the first death or other non-purchase promotion then fell to Lim. An officer who had not pur chased at all might, nevertheless, sell his commission for its full value if he had served 20 years, or for a sum less than the regulated price after shorter service. This was also a spur to promotion. On the whole, though exposed to the disadvantage and annoyance of being passed over by younger officers, the non-purchasing, i.e., the poor officers ben efited pecuniarily by the purchase-system. This is proved by the slow progress officers made in corps where purchase did not exist, as, for instance, in the royal marines. Few would counsel the formation of a new army with such a system as but, on the other hand, it had its advantages in its working. Purchase did not exist in the artillery, engineers, marines, 19th to 21st regiments of cavalry, or 101st to 109th regi ments of foot. The purchase-system was abolished by royal warrant in July, 1871; and by the regulation of the forces act of the same year, parliament laid down a scheme for the gradual compensation of officers who bad lost their selling rights. Under that scheme it is expected that a stun-total amounting to nearly £8,000,000 will be required.