OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 23 February 1882)

§ LORD LAMINGTON

, in rising to call the attention of Her Majesty's Government to the system of competitive examinations of Militia officers for commissions in the Army, said, that he presumed to bring this question under their Lordships' consideration in consequence of a speech delivered at Pontefract last month by the Secretary of State for War. It was a speech that attracted great attention, not only for the importance of the subject, but for the clearness and ability with which it was treated. The portion of the speech to which he desired to call their Lordships' attention referred to the great desire manifested by young men to enter the Army. Mr. Childers stated that last September and October there were 731 candidates for 119 cadetships. He (Lord Lamington) understood that for the next March examination there would be 276 candidates for 30 commissions; so that there must be 246 disappointed, although many out of that number might be declared qualified to enter the Army. Their Lordships would see what a hardship that entailed that so many young men, at an age when it was not possible to enter any other profession, were thrown on the world even when they were qualified to receive commissions; and as those who competed had, as a general rule, only joined the Militia as a means of entering the Army, and did not remain in it after their failure, the Militia thus lost the services of experienced officers. He thought that their Lordships would agree that a system which led to such results was far from satisfactory. A part solution of the difficulty might be found in Mr. Childers's speech, in which Mr. Childers said— I should like all officers, especially younger officers, to read an extract from a letter I re- 1358 cently received from one of the most distinguished officers of the day. I would ask them to note it well, and, perhaps, to reflect that it indicates the direction in which opinion is moving as to their duties. The writer said—'The foreign officer teaches the soldier to ride, to march, to shoot, to drill, and in this he is always at work. The Army is a profession in which the officers are to be the legitimate professors—a great school, in which they are the teachers and tutors.' And Mr. Childers concluded with this encouraging sentence— I desire to work out with care what we have established, and to remedy defects and omissions. But the qualifications enumerated by the distinguished officer were not those which could be tested by any clerical examination; and he presumed to suggest that no candidate should be permitted to compete from the Militia until he had passed a preliminary trial in all these practical matters. This would greatly reduce the number of candidates. He came, however, to the most important suggestion—namely, that the standard of the examination should be raised by giving a certain number of marks for a University degree. The importance of a University career was admitted in the preliminary examination for the Army, and yet at the final examination no advantage was conceded to the degree, although it was obvious that if a young man added to his Militia training the great advantage of a successful University career no one could be better qualified to enter the Army, and by thus raising the standard, they would be placing a check on young men merely making the Militia a means of entering the Army. The importance of a University degree was recognized in other competitions, for instance, in the Indian Civil Service, where it gave special advantages. This system of open competition was quite novel, and he could not but feel that it was a hazardous one. The qualities required for the Military, Naval, and Diplomatic Services were not those that could be tested solely by such examinations. A young man might be superior in technical knowledge, and far inferior in that high character and conduct which were the first qualifications of an officer and a gentleman. But a man who had had the advantage of a three years' University career had his character and conduct fairly tested. These were very important consideration, and 1359 the sentence he had quoted from the speech of the Secretary of State for War, when he said, "he was quite ready to remedy defects and omissions," made him hope that after full consideration the authorities might prevent some of the evils he had pointed to and lead young men to enter the Service who would bring to the Military Profession a high standard of character and education. He had only put his Notice on the Paper two days ago; but brief as had been the space of time that had elapsed he had received a large number of letters expressing grievances on this subject. Her Majesty's Government, he hoped, would take the subject into their careful consideration.

THE EARL OF MORLEY

said, he was quite sure everyone would sympathize with the young men who were unfortunate in not obtaining commissions in the Army. The Army, fortunately, was so popular that there was a vast number of candidates, more than there were commissions to give them; and, therefore, whatever system they pursued, it was inevitable that a large proportion of those examined could not receive appointments. The noble Lord had suggested two means of diminishing the number of candidates who entered the Army through the Militia; and he (the Earl of Morley) would refer to the last point first—namely, that of having obtained a University degree, and that those who had taken it should in any competitive examination be credited with a certain number of marks. He could not help thinking that the noble Lord misapprehended the conditions under which the Militia candidates entered the Army. The examination to which the noble Lord referred was entirely and purely a technical and military one, and was confined to four subjects—military topography, field operations, the elements of tactics, and military law. Before the candidates went in for that examination they were obliged to qualify before the Civil Service Commissioners. After passing this examination they had two trainings in the Militia, and then the candidates went in for the competitive examination. To give credit for a University degree in a purely military examination seemed to him to be entirely out of the question. It would be extremely unfair to others who were competitors. The rules at 1360 present in force were those which were framed by Lord Cranbrook when he was in Office, though the system of granting commissions to Militia officers was commenced by Viscount Cardwell. It was assumed that candidates who had been out with a Militia regiment for two trainings, and after that passed a military examination, had an equivalent qualification with those who passed through Sandhurst and had a military education. A certain number of commissions were, moreover, granted every year to University candidates, and if the number of those candidates exceeded the number of commissions, there was a competition exclusively amongst themselves; and after the examination the unsuccessful candidates passed a year at Sandhurst. It was not, therefore, fair to say that no advantage was given to University candidates. He regretted to say that the suggestion of the noble Lord could not be acceded to. Another point had, he believed, been mentioned by the noble Lord—namely, that there should be a test examination in physical exercises. That question had been discussed pretty often in that House; and, on the whole, it was decided—he admitted there was a difference of opinion—that the physical qualities of the candidates for admission to the Army were so satisfactory that such examination was entirely unnecessary. If they were to find these qualifications falling off, he should be the first to say that possibly some re-arrangement in this respect might be necessary. But as the physical qualifications had not fallen off, it was not thought proper to enter upon such a system of electing candidates for the Army. The number of vacancies was at present very small; and until the list of supernumerary officers in the Army was considerably thinned, it would be impossible to hold out a hope that the case would be different. In some years he hoped the number would be increased; but he could not say when that time would be.