LORD STANLEYsaid, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, what steps have been or are being taken to abolish purchase in the Army above the rank of Major, as recommended by the Commission of 1856?
MR. T. G. BARINGsaid, the House would probably recollect that it had been stated that the new regiments to be formed in consequence of the abolition of the local Indian European Army would be constituted without the system of purchase. The system of selection would be applied to the promotion of field officers in those regiments, and under these circumstances Lord Herbert considered it advisable, previously to the introduction of any general system into the Army, that the Government should have the opportunity of seeing how the system worked in the new Indian regiments.