any higher step, which it might be learnt was for sale. We cannot help thinking that the recollection of this power on the part of the State being in existence, would check the immense advance often demanded upon the regulation price of commissions, by which the promotion of many deserving officers is at times seriously retarded, if not altogether impeded.

The reserve fund, which the public understands to have arisen from sums retained by the Government upon the sale of commissions, permitted to officers who had acquired them without purchase, could not perhaps be better employed than by aiding in this manner the promotion of those officers, deserving either from seniority, or from recognised merit of advancement in the service. The career of many a valuable officer would thus be forwarded which might otherwise be cut short for want of funds; while from this partial application of promotion by selection, and by controlling the abuses of the purchase system, some useful experience might be gained for future guidance, should more general measures become hereafter desirable. These government cominissions would, in some degree, resemble scholarships at the universities, except that they would be the reward of services rendered, or of merit which would do credit to the profession; and we can conceive no endowment more gratifying to the feelings of a deserving officer, nor more conducive to his substantial interests.

It has not been the object of these remarks to advocate the abolition of purchase, or the introduction of a general system of selection into the English Army, but rather, in case the public voice should hereafter urge a modification of the practices which have long existed amongst us, and have often been accompanied by consequences prejudicial to the service, to point out in this most difficult subject some measures by which, it is submitted, the abuses and the extent of promotion by purchase might be diminished, and the exercise of selection for merit, or of exclusion from promotion for unfitness or incompetency, be freed from all that now renders them so invidious and liable to misconstruction, as to be declared impracticable. With strong limitations and checks upon the custom of purchase, and more latitude granted for the advancement out of the usual course, and by selection, of meritorious officers, we might, it is hoped, retain the groundwork now subsisting of promotion in our Army, and avoid the complete revolution in the composition of the body of English officers, which any sweeping change, in imitation of the French system, would in all probability ere long effect.

IMPROVEMENTS IN GREENWICH HOSPITAL, NAVAL WIDOWS' PENSIONS, AND NAVAL RETIREMENT.

(SUGGESTED BY TRISTRAM.)

Included in the improvements in Naval Affairs by the present Naval Administration, those in the Greenwich Hospital Establishment-Naval Officers' Widow's pensions and the extensive Naval retirement are the most prominent and valuable; and the object of pointing out their beneficial working is, that those and the other improvements are not perfected for the want of some one essential point to complete their acknowledged, because proved advantages, not only to the recipients pensioned, or retired, but for the practical and smooth working of the Naval advancement, system, and economy throughout the various degrees.

The increase of Naval Officers' Greenwich Out Pensions, is one of the greatest boons to veterans in old wars and protracted service that has emanated from the Admiralty. From the surplus revenue of Greenwich Hospital, their Lordships have been enabled to increase the number of "Out pensions" to the executive officers now entitled thereto, and to add flag-officers from the Active List, as well as paymasters and warrant officers, who are to be equally eligible for the enjoyment of those rewards granted for merit in duties zealously and faithfully performed in all the vicissitudes of warfare, weather and climate.

The "Service Pensioned List, A." to be increased from fourteen to twenty, by selection from the active Flag-List, will increase the vacancies for the promotion of the senior captains to rear-admirals, respectively on the Active, Reserved, and Retired Lists-a stream of promotion which will annually raise the average number of nine active captains to invigorate the Active Flag-List, and give a competent reward to those elevated to the Reserved Flag-List "B," and to the Reserved List "T" of 1st August, 1860, and 9th July, 1864, and circulate more substantive promotion among the Active List of flag officers.

The captains' out pensions, £80 each, are to be increased from ten to sixteen; the commanders' £65 each, from fifteen to twenty-four; the lieutenants', £50 each, from fifty to eighty-four; and the masters', also £50 each, from fifteen to twenty.

We have long since exercised our pen in suggesting the increase of these pensions, which, with the half-pay or retired pay of those officers will realise a competency for enjoyment, and enable them to pull one foot out of the half-pay grave, and pace their garden quarter-deck with professional pleasure; whereas those officers of Greenwich Hospital, who possessed free quarters and allowances— with half-pay in addition to the Hospital salaries-kept up appearances by "swaying away on all top ropes," so that when called

aloft by that sweet little cherub, their widows and orphan daughters had not a fraction in their possession to pay the funeral expenses and the mourning bills. Hence the Admiralty judgment in breaking up the establishment of "in-door pensioners," who lived in splendour, but died in misfortune, in order to distribute the value of their greater pensions and compensations into smaller pensions to those warriors in half-pay retreat from the fashionable world, to to enjoy their wine and walnuts "O'er all the ills o' life victorious."

Various opinions were expressed, both in and out of Parliament, by ex-First Lords-naval orators-and anonymous writers against the Greenwich Hospital Bill, but which we supported in squib and cracker style, because of its equity in creating a greater number of Out Pensions to reward the war services of the veteran officers, seamen, and marines, and in decreasing the expenses of that Naval Establishment. This reduction of expenditure will enable the Admiralty, we trust, to equalise the pensions of the widows of those officers retired from broadsiding battles and blockading duties, with those of the widows of officers reared in peace services, which are those of yatching, being harboured in winter-sky-sail and royal sailing in summer, from one port to another for healthful variety in a change of scene and beauty. They know not the satiety of monthly salt junk, nor "toujours des perdrix."

Pensions per ann.

Widows of captains, "U" List, promoted from the commanders' List

Widows of masters on the rank of captain, if above three years' standing.

£75

£90

£80

£80

Widows of masters if under three years' standing Widows of masters promoted to staff-commanders Widows of master-captains and staff-commanders are pensioned higher than the widows of post-captains! because an Act of Parliament knocked away the "post" from the captains, and an Order in Council manufactured out of the "post" a staff for the masters promoted to staff-commanders. However, to be just, their Lordships promoted the reserved lieutenants-those of Greenwich Hospital, and the lieutenants, Knights of Windsor, to the retired rank of commander, which lowered the "staffs" again to executive command. Surely then, their Lordships will be equally just to raise the pensions of the widows of the late "post" captains, promoted from the commanders' List to the scale of the widows of the newfangled and spangled captains retired from the masters' List.

Pardon this digression, but the "toujours des perdrix" reminded us of our Widows' Rights, so "Greenwich, ho!" once more.

No true scene of sailor's joy and exultation, equalled that of the Greenwich pensioners in their exodus from the monastic hospital, since Lord Cochrane, in the Pallas towed a "gallooner" into Plymouth Sound, dollar laden. Three ensigns flaunted from the Pallas's

mast-heads, and gold candlesticks, five feet high, stood on the trucks. The free railway tickets in front of the pensioners' hats, for man, bed, bag, and baggage to any part of the United Kingdom, were the gold pass-notes at their mast-heads; the fourteen shillings a-week pension, the silver treasure in their tobacco pouches; and their hearts' content, at the slipping of their moorings from Greenwich tier, was exultingly expressed by nine hundred sea voices, "Three cheers, my brave boys, for we are homeward bound!”

The present Quarterly Navy List gives the promotion and position of the executive officers retired from Greenwich Hospital on their respective Retired Lists. The Lieutenant-Governor, RearAdmiral Sir Stephen Lushington, K.C.B., was promoted to ViceAdmiral, 1st October, 1865, and on the following 2nd December, to Admiral on the Reserved List. Admiral Sir Watkin Owen Pell and Admiral Sir Peter Richards, K.C.B., Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital, also to the Reserved List. Captain W. C. Aldham, C.B., is retired to the "T" List of Retired Captains, and will rise to promotion by seniority to the "T" List of Flag Officers. Brevet Retired Captain Henry Parker, Commander in Greenwich Hospital, was promoted to the "U" List of Retired Captains, a merited promotion as his Commander's Commission is dated 27th June, 1814. Here are the promotions of the commander, the captain, and the flag officers retired from their respective posts in Greenwich Hospital, it is therefore evident that the three lieutenants of the Hospital-Brevet Retired Commanders John Pollard, Thomas Williams, and William Valentine Lee-have been kept from their promotion to the rank of Commander on the "W" List by mere oversight, which will no doubt be rectified by their Lordships, as no Order in Council is required. Retired Commander John Pollard, on the "P" List-Lieutenant, 14 November, 1806 -may probably be now promoted to the "O" List of Retired Commanders, by seniority, on which there are two vacancies; but by the recent precedent of the superior officers in the Hospital, having been promoted, or retired on superior lists, the proper list, by comparison, of commanders to which these three Lieutenants of the Hospital are entitled on their retirement, is that of the "W" List, and not the "P" List of brevet retired commanders, from which they were removed to the separate list of the Hospital establishment on their appointments to it as lieutenants. It, therefore, could not be the intention of the Admiralty to retire them on a junior list when their appointments were abolished.

Admiral Sir James Alexander Gordon, G.C.B., has his name removed from the separate Hospital List to that of the Reserved List of Admirals, but he yet heads the List as Governor of Greenwich Hospital, and this title of Naval honour could be kept in perpetuity were his successor to head the List as Honorary Governor instead of "Visitor," the cognomen of the gentleman who visits a jail or workhouse. This is the one essential point wanted to perfect the working of the Greenwich Hospital Bill.

The widows of Naval officers gratefully acknowledge the boon partially restored to them by the present Admiralty, which was heartlessly withdrawn from them by Sir James Graham, although he, as First Lord, in some measures effected great Naval Reform. Here is a boon to the Naval officers' widows, which for generations was withheld from them, when their Military sisters in bereavement were possessed of its enjoyment.

"1st. Widows' Pensions.-The pensions of all widows shall commence from the day following that to which their husbands died. ... instead of from the first day of the month following that in which their husbands died.

This boon extracts the first sting of widowhood's privation, as it provides for the widow's maintenance from the day after her husband's death. Previous Boards left the widow penniless until "the first day of the month following that to which her husband died." Hence she was deprived, in many instances, of her pension from one to thirty days, for except her husband died on the last day of the month, she could not commence her pension from the day following that to which her husband died.

The Military and Marine officers for these last thirty years, have questioned, whether it has been fair-play for Tristram, in The United Service Magazine, and Naval and Military Gazette, to persistingly draw comparisons between the advantages and disadvantages of either Service, but have lately assented with fraternal feeling, that he is justified in not laying down his pen until the Navy's Wrongs are squared with the Army's Rights. Was it not the poignant wrong, for the country to deprive the Navy's widows of the equal right due to the Army's Widows?

Naval officers' widows are now on equality as to receipt of their pensions from the day after their husband's death with the widows of Military officers and the amount of pensions according to their husbands' military rank at their death, if they were on the Active Lists, or retired from the Active Lists after June 14, 1863.

The pensions of widows of naval instructors, and chief-gunners, boatswains, and carpenters of the Royal Navy have been increased by Order in Council of July 1st, 1864.

"A widow remarrying, after June 11th, 1863, will have her pension suspended, but in the event of her again becoming a widow, her pension may be restored."

The present Admiralty have thus assuaged the afflicted heart of the Naval officer's widow, which the late Sir James Graham broke, or sorrowed for a series of years; but their Lordships' scale of pensions to Naval officers' widows is replete with honey to the master-captains' widows, and with bitterness to those of the retired captains promoted from the commanders' Active List, under Order in Council, 1st August, 1860, as previously compared. Admiral Sir Frederick Grey, Rear-Admiral the Hon. James R. Drummond, and the Right Hon Lord Clarence Paget, could not honour the U.S. MAG. No. 448, MARCH, 1566.