two-thirds of the annual casualties among the majors and lieutenantcolonels respectively. This boon is not very extensive, it is true, but still it will be a greater source of promotion than the warrant of October last, with this important difference, that it will cost nothing to the public. The only contingent charge arising from this promotion will be the difference in the widows' pensions and compassionate allowances of the officers thus promoted without purchase; but we must recollect, that to counterbalance this contingent charge of 20l. a-year additional to the widow of the captain thus obtaining his majority, a like contingent charge, to the amount of 701. a year, will be saved on the widow's pension of the major who retired receiving the difference; and to counterbalance the contingent charge of 20l. a-year for the increased pensions to the widows of the two majors promoted, the prospective burden of 801. a-year will be saved on the widow's pension of the lieutenantcolonel who accepted the difference, on retiring to half-pay; and a proportionable contingent saving would also be effected in the amount of compassionate allowances for each of these ranks, so that on the whole, the public in this respect would unquestionably be gainers. The only other contingency to be provided for is, the increased charge which might arise in future years from the promotion of these officers by brevet. Now, with regard to the major and lieutenantcolonel who receive the difference, their claim to this promotion is thereby entirely cut off; and, with regard to the major and two lieutenant-colonels promoted without purchase, as they must be from 45 to 50 years of age before attaining their promotion, and as the average period the lieutenant-colonel will remain in that rank is 20 years, and as colonel, say 12, he must be 82, at least, before he attains the additional pay of major-general; and the major, before he could attain that rank, would be bordering on 100. The chances of any extra charge on this head are consequently so excessively remote, as scarcely to admit of calculation. At all events, the bonus of 2307., which we have shown will be carried to the credit of the half-pay fund, on the sale of the two field-officers' commissions, will be more than sufficient to cover that contingency. We were anxious to have applied our calculations towards effecting a reduction in the prices of majorities and lieutenant-colonelcies, corresponding to the length of service of the candidates, in the same way as we have before suggested for graduating the price of companies; but we were precluded from carrying the same principle into effect with regard to these commissions, from the difficulty which would exist in bringing so many officers of that rank back to full pay, even giving the difference. In the rank of captain, it is understood many are anxious to retire, receiving the difference; but, in the higher grades, comparatively few are so. Had we, therefore, suggested any graduated scale of purchase, it could only have been for promotion to the unattached rank; and the remuneration in the shape of additional half-pay for the sums thus expended, would have been so very trifling, especially to persons advanced in life, that even if the price of these commissions could be reduced one-half, it is questionable whether many officers of long standing would be disposed to avail themselves of the privilege of purchasing at that price. It is only to young and wealthy officers that the purchase of the unattached rank of field-officer holds out any inducement. It may be urged that there will even be a difficulty in procuring the requisite number of field-officers to exchange, receiving the difference, in order to carry our suggestions into effect; but as the lieutenantcolonels thus requisite to exchange will not exceed three, nor the majors about six, annually, this objection cannot be supposed a very serious one at all events, should there be any difficulty in effecting this part of the arrangement, the difference might be lodged by the purchaser in the half-pay fund prior to being gazetted, and the interest accruing thereon would more than compensate the public for the expense incurred in the meantime, by having a young annuitant substituted for an old one. It seems doubtful whether old majors on full pay would be disposed to avail themselves of the unattached rank of lieutenant-colonel, without purchase, thus offered for their acceptance : indeed, we believe that even the vacancies in that rank which are disposable under the order of the 27th of October last, have in vain been offered to the acceptance of several. The reason is obvious. The value of full pay majorities is at present so much above the regulation price, that they could be sold in almost any corps for considerably more than the price of an unattached lieutenant-colonelcy, and consequently the old major accepting that rank, would, in most instances, do so at a very considerable pecuniary sacrifice. But should there be any difficulty in prevailing on the old majors to accept of the promotion thus provided for them, the number of captains to be promoted to unattached majorities, without purchase, might be increased in a corresponding proportion, so that what was rejected by the one rank, might go to the benefit of the other. In It may, perhaps, be urged as an objection, both to this and our previous suggestion for the promotion of lieutenants, that it makes one class of officers pay for the promotion of another; but this, though no doubt novel, is, we submit, one of the best features of our scheme. the British Service there are many young officers of fortune and family anxious to employ the ample wealth of which they are possessed, in forwarding a laudable ambition to advance themselves rapidly in their profession. These officers will not scruple to give any price to attain the darling object of their pursuit-military rank. The constitution of our Army renders it necessary that such men should have the opportunity of advancing themselves in their profession, seeing that unless they can attain the rank of lieutenant-colonel by the age of 35, there is no chance, at the present rate of brevet promotion, of their being even major-generals sooner than 65. Since, then, the rapid promotion of this class, over the heads of officers of perhaps treble their standing, is a necessary evil, it is but fair that those who are really the parties injured by it should receive some compensation from their juniors for being thus stept over. At present, the party receiving all the compensation is the officer selling, who thus receives 3200l. or 4500l., for what, as an annuity, is perhaps not worth half as much. But, by the proposed arrangement, the compensation will be applied to the parties really injured; and old officers will have the satisfaction of knowing, that for every major or lieutenant-colonel promoted over their head by purchasing unattached, one or two, also, of their seniors will be promoted without purchase; and that the greater number being thus provided for, the sooner will it come to their own turn to enjoy the benefit of it. Nothing can be more likely to reconcile officers to the rapid promotion of their juniors, than finding their own interest likely to be advanced by it. We do not mean, however, by these suggestions, as to the promotion of field-officers, in any way to interfere with the ordinary course of promotion, either regimentally or unattached; but intend, on the contrary, that they should be in addition thereto : thus affording both to the man of wealth, and the man without wealth, a still better chance of getting forward in his profession, which, if the Army is to be kept effective in the higher ranks, it is absolutely necessary should be accomplished in one way or other. Having already provided that the number of officers thus promoted is to be regulated by the casualties, there can be no objection on the plea of any undue increase in these ranks, especially when it is kept in view, that after deducting the large proportion superannuated, there would not, in the event of another war, be a sufficiency of field-officers for second battalions and the other exigencies of the service. quently, as we before stated in regard to the captains, a very extensive promotion would then become necessary, at a heavy expense to the public, which would ultimately be avoided by the adoption of the preceding suggestions. Conse To reduce the number of subalterns on half-pay is, no doubt, advisable; for young and active men could at all times be procured, who would perform the duties of that grade infinitely better than officers. who had been for the last twenty years in the retirement of civil life : but it is certainly desirable to have a large reserve of the higher ranks, whose experience would be useful in the formation of young regiments, and of whose services the country might avail itself in the hour of need, especially if this reserve can be kept up, not only without cost, but absolutely with economy to the public. It will be observed, that throughout the whole of our suggestions there has not been one additional annuitant placed on the half-pay list; the captains promoted having been replaced by an equal number of subalterns from half-pay; the majors by an equal number of captains; and the lieutenant-colonels by an equal number of majors; so that though no decrease takes place in the rank in which death vacancies actually occur on half-pay, there does in the grade next junior to it; and thus, no doubt, a rapid diminution would continue to take place in all the ranks except that of lieutenant-colonel, while the reduction of the charge on the public would correspond to the actual casualties in each rank as formerly. Government merely gives the rank, while the officer secures the public against any charge arising from the increase of pay, by the sum handed over to the annuity officer, or half-pay fund. We understand that as our suggestions involve the substitution of the half-pay of one grade for that of another, though ultimately of no additional charge, that it will require the sanction of the Secretary-atWar; but there can be little doubt, if our military authorities are satisfied of the expediency of the measure, that its obvious economy will insure it the approbation of those who watch over the interests of the public. HALLEY AND HIS COMET. "Magno labore, multisque nocturnis vigilis.” ABOUT three years ago, we endeavoured to moderate the alarm of some of our readers, respecting the anticipated approach of Biela's comet towards our globe. That body, as we ventured to assure all concerned it would, passed its perihelion a few days after our paper was printed, without any of the terrific consequences dreamed of by philosophists, under the notion that if any disturbing cause had delayed the arrival of the comet for a single month, the earth must have passed "smack" through its head. This gives the timorous a respite till the autumn of 1839, when the same ceaseless traveller will revisit our neighbourhood, and again frighten the timid, though it will then be unable to cross our orbit. But even if the comet had come to closer quarters, probably nothing would have ensued greatly to interrupt the affairs of life. From the earth's greater density, we might have attracted some new gaseous element into the terrestrial atmosphere, and thereby created some new aerial and marine tides; but whether such a combination would prove beneficial or baleful are alike uncertain, because we are utterly unacquainted with the physical constitution of those erratic bodies. Indeed we entertain no great horror of impingement or shock, since, besides the chance being in the ratio of 281 millions to 1 against such a disaster, the dreaded comet was of so incoherent a mass of diaphanous vapoury molecules, that in passing over a cluster of very minute stars, it barely obscured their light. We might even be involved in such a nebulosity, and yet remain so unconscious of the true state of affairs, as merely to give vent to the feelings, by uttering a few maledictions on the foggy weather it occasioned. In the sketch of cometary history which we submitted on the occasion alluded to, we mentioned the expected return of the interesting and most remarkable wanderer, known as "Halley's Comet," in 1835. We have now to announce the complete accomplishment of the prediction; for, although it will not pass its perihelion till November, nor become visible to the unassisted eye for some time yet, it has already been detected by sentinels who, with zeal and solicitude, have anxiously gazed for the first glimpse of its distant approach, from depths of space two thousand millions of miles beyond the extreme verge of the solar system. It was seen, but not reduced to certainty, at Rome on the 6th Aug., and by J. H. Stanway, Esq., near Manchester, on the 8th. Most observers, however, waited for the waning of the late moon; and that the look-out was vigilantly maintained will appear from the following statement of the dates at which it was almost simultaneously caught up, in different parts of the empire: Bromley, Kent. Trafford Hall, Manchester *. Its appearance on the 24th did not present the portentous magnitude. and fiery tone of its er aspects, but that of a pale nebulous blot; Mr. Stanway is ne the comet. et he saw on the 8th of August, was yet so soon afterwards as the 28th, a nucleus, resembling a minute telescopic star, was perceptible in the north-following portion of the gaseous envelop. It advances rapidly, and the enlargement it has already shown promises a more conspicuous figure, when it shall arrive nearest to the earth, about the 10th of October, than was expected, from the known, but as yet unaccounted for, decrease of brilliancy and magnitude in comets. As it approaches its perihelion in the middle of November, the comet's brilliance will increase, and its motion will be awfully swift, till it loses itself in the sun's rays; after which astronomical eyes will have a spell, till its re-appearance at the end of December, from its glowing trip round the solar orb. In the meantime we subjoin the march of the comet up to the moment of committing this paper to the press; the positions are mere instrumental ones, but though rough and unreduced, will show the progress made: Thus has been revealed a body, which-in spite of all known and imagined causes of orbital derangement, during its immense course through all the vicissitudes of light and darkness, heat and cold,—returned within eight or nine days of its appointment, in upwards of seventy-six years; and even this slight irregularity is more imputable to errors of observation than of investigation, for there were many sources of error that the most skilful astronomers could not avoid, before the perfecting of instruments to the degree which they have now arrived at. This happy fulfilment of a wonderful prediction, is a glorious triumph to science, and one equally gratifying to geometers, computers, observers, and opticians; for the indubitable proof of its belonging to our system, opens objects so new and important, that Halley prophetically expected that "candid posterity would not refuse to acknowledge it was first discovered by an Englishman." Before the periodicity of this comet was established, there were many philosophers, and some of them of no mean note, who argued against the whole cometary theory, maintaining that they were mere accidental bodies. falling through the regions of space, having no dependance on our sun, or connexion with our system. As far as can be historically traced, the present may be the fifteenth return of Halley's comet, the earliest period on record being B. c. 130 years; but it will still require much time for the development of its full interest. For the present, we must content ourselves with closely watching it, and good watching may be depended on, for it will soon be within the reach of gazers of every grade; moreover, during the first part of the month of October, it will never set to us. From the practical skill of astronomers, and the excellence of instruments, the numerous and accurate observations now in progress all over the northern hemisphere, will enable us to foretell its The early history of comets is so beset with doubts and difficulties, that the various dates are extremely problematical. |