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    against sums being paid over the regulation , and fearful denunciations against unauthorized persons trafficking in commissions . Yet the late excellent Oommander-in-Chief , -while officially issuing these orders , paid over-regulation for his own son ' s promotion—letting not his left hand know what his right Jiand did—and "benevolent gentlemen living about St . James ' s , whose circulars may be seen in every mess-room , will , for a consideration , effect an exchange to any part of the world from Sierra Leone to "Windsor .

    Follow flying steps of truth Across the brazen bridge of war , they may "be more able to Strike , and firmly , and one stroke , than they were the last time . One word more . It is little use casting out the purchase devil , and making the house clean , and garnishing it , simply to allow the seven devils of patronage to walk in . An Officer .

    A good deal has been heard lately about the purchase system , but in reality very little is known about it . Of course it is a gross injustice , patent to every "body , that a man should step over another ' s head , simply because one has money and the other has not ; but there are many other evils connected with purchase which are little known and little thought of . Supposing that tlie colonel of a regiment wishes to retire ( we will take an infantry regiment ) , a civilian would naturally suppose that all that was required would be for the officers benefiting by the retirement to pay each the regulated amount , and l ) e duly gazetted . Far from it . The colonel goes to the senior major , and probably says that he

    is willing to retire , but wants so much , say 3000 / . over the regulation . The major declares that it is too much . The colonel insists , reminds the major that Smith of the 190 th got 4000 ? ., finally threatens to exchange and sell in another regiment . The major becomes pathetic—speaks to the colonel of their early days when they were ensigns together , of long night marches in Caffraria and sultry field days in the Phoenix , of the moose-hunting in Canada and the dignity balls in Barbadoes—and entreats him not to let a stranger have the good old regiment . This is too much for the colonel ; lib relents , and in the sacred cause of friendship strikes off 500 ? . End of the first act .

    The curtain rises on the senior major , senior captain , senior lieutenant , and senior ensign for purchase , settling their respective proportions of the 2500 / . Possibly all are tolerably well off , and tolerably liberal ; then everything goes pretty smoothlj 1 ' . But very often ifc is exactly the reverse ; the major has a wife and small family , the captain does not much care about promotion , the lieutenant thinks that Captain So-and-So is shaky , and consequently expects a death vacancy , and the ensign ' s grandmother has a conscientious objection to giving money over the regulation . Nothing remains but to

    send the begging-box all round the regiment . Probably the second senior captain gives a 100 / . ot a 150 / ., two or three of the other captains 30 / . or 40 / . each , half a dozen of the senior lieutenants from 10 / . to 50 / . a , piece ; even the junior ensign has been known to give what he would call a " fiver" towards his chance of becoming a field-marshal . At last the sum is raised , and the new colonel assumes the command , one of his duties being to instruct Ensign Smith in the "Queen ' s regulations , " which , assisted by the ensign ' s " fiver , " he had just broken himself .

    I have taken a very simple case as an illustration . Many others are much more complicated . Sometimes the senior of a rank has his name returned for purchase , but either cannot or will not give a farthing over the regulated price . An officer who cannot purchase hurts no one , as his juniors skip o ^ ver his head ; but one who is for regulation often stops the -whole promotion , as while he is the first for purchase no officer of the rank above him is likely to retire . Such a mail is most unpop \ ilar in a regiment , and it is often made too hot to hold him ; unless , as not unfrequently occurs , he allows himself to be passed over for a pecuniary consideration .

    Space will not permit me at this time to enter into further detail on the system of promotion Iry purchase as it at present works . Let those of your readers who have friends and relatives in the army question them on the subject , and they -will learn more than I can tell them . They must remember , however , that officers arc not inclined to tell talcs out of school , and that many , like Demetrius of old , remembering " that by this craft they have their wealth , " are willing to cry , " Groat is Diana of the liiphesiam" —excellent and honourable is tho purchase system .

    Cromwell ' s troopers are said to have ridden with the sword in one hand and the Bible in the other ; at the present day the latter has been replaced by a purse . It is not absolutely necessary for our bold dragoons to bo very proficient in the niahagomenfc of their swords , but they must be perfect in their purse drill . We profess to be the most enlightened people in the world—we know that we are the richest—yet wo appear likely , through routine and an unwise economy , to fall into the same statu of sleep from which we were awakened by tho Crimonn thunderclap . Englishmen are imperatively called on to put down tho buying and selling of commissions , —for the sako of the English gentlemen , who , for the most part , officer the army , whom the purchase system degrades ; for the sake of the army itself , which it reduces to the level of tlic Stock Kxchange ; nnd for their own sakes , —so that if they are again driven to

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    THE MOON'S MOTIONS . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ') Sib , —As your column of" Open Council" is open to all , I take the liberty of stating my views concerning the moon's motions , without reference to the correspondence which has passed in your paper on the subject . In my opinion the moon has but two real motions ; the first is its annual motion round the suu with the earth , and as the satellite of the earth ; therefore , for this motion it is dependent on the earth ; by this motion , in one revolution , any point on the moon's surface points to every part of space . The other is its motion round the earth in twenty-seven days twelve hours , or its orbital motion , which is totally independent of the motions of the earth , and would continue without them ; but its circular or elliptical form is dependent on the attraction of gravitation of

    the two bodies , and of tlie sun . It is plain that this cannot be termed an axial motion ( though in reality for every revolution it does revolve once on its axis ) , or the annual motion of the earth must be termed axial also , which to a certain extent it is , as the point of concentration of gravitation , or the power which preserves this orbit , may be considered its axis , which is the centre of the sun . But it is the diurnal motion which is known as the axial one , and such , in my opinion , does not exist in the moon ; and as a necessary consequence , every part of the moon's surface must successively be presented to the earth in a period of one revolution round it . And her hemisphere , which is visible to us , is perpetually presented to the sun as the pole of the eartli is to the pole star ; therefore , her other hemisphere must be in perpetual darkness .

    If the moon-had an axial motion , independent of the one above named , as the earth has , a little of her hemisphere which we do not see would , at certain parts of her orbit , become visible to us , or such axial motion mus t vary as her speed does in her journey round the earth . The reason why only tlie one-half of the surface of the moon is visible to us , although tho whole is presented , is , when the moon is new , or between us and the sun , the hemisphere , which we never see , is presented direct to us , but being opposite the sun , it is in darkness , and therefore invisible . As she recedes from the sun in her orbit towards the

    first quarter , her illuminated hemisphere is gradually presented to us , causing her gibbous or horned appearance ; her obscured half , "by her orbital motion , gradually points to other parts of space . When at the first quarter , one-half of her illuminated and onehalf of her obscured hemispheres is presented to us ; at the full , the whole of her illuminated surface ; and in the last quarter the opposite half of her surface to that in the first is presented to us ; and under the same circumstances , in the first quarter her motion i 3 slowest , at the full on an average , and in the last quarter the most rapid .

    It will be seen from this that if such a thing as a real axial motion existed it would be detected ; the various mountains projecting from various parts of her obscured surface , and catching tho light of the sun , have appeared successively , unvarying at all times . As the moon is merely a reflector , and as all observations of her have gone to establish the supposition that slie is not inhabited , such axial motion would not improve h « r as a reflector ; therefore , it is unn ecessary to the purposo to which she was made , and the frigid regularity of her supposed axial motion cannot be reconciled with the known irregularity of her orbital motion . —I am , sir , rospectfully , yours , Edward O'Donouoiiik .

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    A Danger for tiie Prkss . —In tho case of nn action brought against tho Durham Count // Advertiser for a libel contained in a report of a meeting of tho Hartlcpool Improvement Commissioners , -where a great deal of personality was uttered , which was duly recorded in tho journal , Lord Campbell has ruled that reports of public meetings in the newspapers , however correct , are subject to the law of libel . This is a very important decision , and one in which tho interests of the public , no less than of journalists , is deeply concerned . It clearly annihilates tho liberty of reporting , except at great risk ; and in < 'ffoct circumscribes the . freedom of the press within very narrow limits . Hut . it rests with the English people to decide whether sncli shall continue to bo tho law , that is to my , assuming Lord Campbell ' s decision to bo correct . 'Fai , i , ok a Hah / k-ay Bimxiu , —A viaduct on a branch of tho London and North-Western Unilivay , situated at

    Cowden , -mtlun a few miles of Coventry , has completely fallen m . The bridge -was built of stone , and consisted of several arches . It also carried over the railroad one of the principal turnpike thoroughfares of the locality , fortunately , no train on the railway was passing tlie spot at the tune that the accident occurred , although one had passed under the bridge , but a short time previously ; neither did any vehicles or foot-passengers happen to he on the road above , so that no lives were lost , nor was any person in tlie slightest degree injured . All traffic is of course stopped for a time .

    Repbeskstatiok of Salpokd . —Mr . E . R . Langworthy , the candidate for the vacant Beat , addressed the electors of Salfordon Tuesday night . He declared himself a thorough Free-trader , and promised to support every measure that h « believed would promote unrestricted industry and commerce in the broadest sense of the words . He would do all in his power to secure economicaladtaimstration of public funds , as far as was consistent with the efficiency of the public service , for he was to tie utmost extent , and most sincerely , an economist . He considered that the income-tax was an unfair tax , and had always thoTight as much , believing that under any circumstances its inequalities ought to be remedied . Yet he preferred direct to indirect taxation . He -was in favour of an increase of the franchise , and of the ballot . A vote of approval was passed .

    Crystal Palace . —A monthly magazine has been Btarted ( A . Hall , "Virtue , and Co . ) under the auspices of the Company , in ordei to develop more fully the educational and industrial objects contemplated by its founders . Politics in Maitchester . —Several " Free-traders and friends of political progress" met on Thursday evening at Manchester , and , after hearing a letter from Mr . Bright ( dated from Rochdale ) , in -which that gentleman speaks of his continued inability to attend to business , passed a resolution expressing their sympathy with and respect for him , and cheerfully conceding to him any interval of repose he may require . Speeches were then delivered by Mr . Milner Gibson and others , in support of reduced expenditure in naval and military matters , of Parliamentary reform , and of Free-trade .

    St . Pancras Parish . —A poor woman attended at Clerkenwell police court to complain that she had not been properly attended to in St . Pancras workhouse . After walking about the streets in the cold and wet for a night , and being a whole day without food , she went by the magistrate ' s advice to the workhouse , and was provided with shelter for the night ; but she was discharged the next morning , after doing some -work and receiving a x > enny loaf . She received no other assistance , arid the authorities said they had done all they could . The magistrate sent a police officer with her , to make another application . The " Legal AnnnyENT . "—The solicitor tn tho

    London and N ~ orth-Western Railway writes to the Times to deny some of the statements made under this head by Mr . Brady with Tespect to a commercial traveller , wrongfully convicted ( according to Mr . Brady ' s assertion ) of theft . The -writer appears to doubt that there was a miscarriage of justice , and he denies that there was any unfair or harsh treatment of " Mr . T ., " who noiv turns out to have been a Mr . John Matson Temple .

    An "La-rtiiquakb in England . —Mr . E . J . Lowe , writing to the Times from the Observatory , Beeston , on the 26 th inst ., says - — " A slight shock of earthquake was felt both here and at Highfield-house yesterday afternoon at 3 h . 20 m . There was a noise like a distant heavy luggage train and a trembling of the ground , producing a peculiar sensation on the soles of the foot . The earthquake pendulum , moved from west to cast . TJie pendulum is thirty-three feet in length , and the movement was scarcely the eighth of an inch . "

    Baiion Aldehson died at his residence in Park-crescent on Tuesday afternoon , in his seventieth year . He was a native of Great Yarmouth , and was educated first at the Charter House , and then at Caius College , Cambridge . After practising some years as a barrister , he was made a puisne judge in the Court of Common Pleas in 1830 ; and four years afterwards he was transferred to th < i Court of Exchequer . He edited , in conjunction with Mr . Barnewall , five volumes of roportsof cases hearil in the Court of King ' s Bench between 1815 and 1820 . AucumsAooN Disnihon . —After considerable

    discussion before Lord Campbell , and Justices Coleridge , Wightman , and Crompton , in tho Court of Queen ' s Bench on Wednesday , their lordships made a rule absoluto for a mandamus to issue , commanding Sir John Dodson , Judge of the Court of Appeal of tho province of Canterbury , to admit a libel and appeal from the decision of tho Archbishop of Canterbury , the appeal being from the decision of tho Archbishop sitting in tlie diocese of Bnth and " Wells as statutory substitute for that bishop . The proceedings hud reference to the caso o £ Archdeacon Pciii . son .

    Stiicidk . —Mr . Luke Tnghtfoot , a gentleman of sixtythree , has drowned himself in the Surrey Canal , wheru the body was found one clay last week by a labouring man . The deceased gentleman ' s relations stated at the inquest that lie had been monomaniacal for some tirno pant , nnd had been kept under restraint ; but ho got awny from the house early in the morning , after leaving in Ins room a fuw farewell words to his sinter , and must have gone at once to the water and drowned lumbclf .

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    ¦ Ja-OTArt 81 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER , ln

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 31, 1857, page 111, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2178/page/15/