Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/637

] &quot; good-conduct badges &quot; worn on the arm ; but these, with the corresponding pay, are liable to forfeiture for mis conduct.

A soldier may claim his discharge at the expiration of his first or second period of service ; or he may be dis charged before the expiration of his service, either by sentence of court-martial or by order of the Commander- in-Chief for misconduct, or as an indulgence at his own request, or on reduction of the army, or as an invalid, if found unfit for further service. A soldier discharged after 2 1 years service is entitled to a pension varying from a minimum of 8d. a day for a private, to a maximum of 2s. Cd. a day for a non-commissioned officer ; every good- conduct badge the soldier was in possession of, or would have been entitled to, at the time of discharge, adding a Id. a day to his pension. A soldier discharged on the completion of his first period (12 years), or discharged at any time for misconduct, receives no pension. If dis charged as an invalid, on account of unfitness for service, he receives a temporary or permanent pension, varying, according to the nature of the disability and the manner in which it arose, from a minimum of 6d. a day for a year, to the full pension given above. Pensions for wounds are given on a special scale, according to the nature of the wound, the maximum being 2s. 6cl. for a private and 3s. 6d. for a non-commissioned officer. Soldiers are also allowed to purchase their discharge as an indulgence, according to a fixed scale depending on length of service and character ; 35 in the artillery and engineers, and 20 in the infantry being the maximum rates. After from 12 to 16 years service such discharge is granted free.

There are ten ranks of combatant officers in the army, viz., field-marshals, generals, lieutenant-generals, and major- generals (classed as general officers) ; colonels, lieutenant- colonels, and majors (field officers) ; captains, lieutenants, and sub-lieutenants (regimental or company officers). The classification and promotion of officers is complicated by the system of brevet or army rank, by which an officer may hold a higher rank in the army than he holds in his regi ment. Brevet rank is usually given for distinguished service in the field, or for length of service : it begins with the rank of major, and may be said to cease with that of major-general, .as in that grade and in those above it all rank is army rank. Relative rank and command within the regiment, regimental promotion and duties, and pay, are determined by regimental rank ; but rank, command, and duties outside the regiment, and army promotion, are governed by army rank. Thus a regimental captain may receive the brevet of major for distinguished service : he is called captain and brevet major, retains his place among the captains of his regiment, and continues to perform a captain s duties in his regiment ; but on any duties where the officers of /several regiments are mixed he takes his place as major, and would command captains of his own regiment, though senior as such to himself.

Previous to November 1871 first appointments and regimental promotion in the cavalry and infantry were made under the purchase system. This system dates from the earliest days of the army, and arose partly from the mode in which regiments were originally raised. Every regimental commission had a fixed regulation price, varying from .450, the price of an ensigncy in an infantry regiment, to 7:250, that of a lieutenant-colonelcy of Life Guards; in addition to which an over-regulation price, which some times even exceeded the regulation price, had sprung up, and become established by custom, though contrary to law. An officer on retiring received the regulation price of his commission from Government, and the over-regulation from the otiicer who succeeded him ; and the step went to the senior qualified officer of the lower grade in the regiment who was able and willing to purchase it. An officer who could not afford to purchase rose with the others till he became senior of his rank, and there remained till a death vacancy or other &quot; non-purchase step&quot; gave him his promotion. Practically, however, the injury inflicted was less than at first sight appears, as the purchase system stimulated a rapid flow of promotion, by which the non-purchase officer profited also, and if he lost a year or two in promotion, he saved several thousand pounds. First appointments were given to gentlemen whose names were on the Commauder- in-Chief s list, and to cadets from the Military College at Sandhurst, on passing the required examinations and pay ing the price of the commission ; a certain number of com missions without purchase being given to those who passed high examinations at Sandhurst, and to young men whose fathers services gave them special claims. Purchase was abolished by warrant of 20th July 1871, Parliament voting the money to compensate the officers then holding saleable commissions, and a system of promotion by &quot; seniority tempered by selection &quot; was substituted by the present regulations.

First commissions as sub-lieutenants are now given to successful candidates at an open competitive examination, to non-commissioned officers specially recommended, to university students who have passed certain examinations, and to &quot; Queen s&quot; and &quot;Indian cadets,&quot; and pages of honour. A certain number of first commissions as lieu tenants are also given to lieutenants of militia regi ments. The limits of age for candidates by competition are from 17 to 20; but this is extended to 22 in the case of university students and militia lieutenants, and 30 in the case of non-commissioned officers. The great majority of first appointments are given by open com petition, examinations for the purpose being held periodi cally under the Civil Service Commissioners. The suc cessful candidates receive commissions as sub-lieutenants, and are sent to the Military College at Sandhurst (or to their regiments, if in India) for a course of instruction ; and after passing the required examination in military subjects at the conclusion of the course, and serving a certain time with their regiments, are eligible for promo tion to the rank of lieutenant. A lieutenant is eligible Proin&amp;lt;r,iGt. for promotion to captain after two years service, but the actual time is usually much longer from eight to eleven years ; to qualify, he must pass an examination in regimental duties, drill, &c., and also a special army examination in military law, tactics, field sketching, and field forti fication. Promotion to the rank of captain is usually by regimental seniority ; the senior qualified subaltern in the regiment succeeding to a vacancy among the captains. A captain may become regimental major by succession to a vacancy in his own regiment, or by being promoted to a majority in another regiment, or on half-pay ; and brevet major by promotion for distinguished service, or by seniority in the army. Before promotion to a regimental majority a captain must pass a practical examination in subjects connected with the command of a regiment or of a small mixed force in the field. The appointment as major to a regiment is made for five years only, but is renewable. A major may become regimental lieutenant-colonel by appoint ment to the command of a regiment, or to an unattached lieutenant-colonelcy ; and by brevet for distinguished service, or by seniority in the army. Certain staff appointments also carry with them the rank of lieutenant-colonel on appointment, or on completion of five years service in them. Regimental promotion ceases with the rank of lieutenant- colonel When a vacancy arises in a regiment by death or by the promotion of an officer to another regiment, the step goes in the regiment ; if it arises otherwise, it is filled up as seems best to the Secretary of State and the Commander- 