The troops or companies in cavalry regiments, in the royal corps, and in the état major or staff, were fixed at 10,000 livres, and the rest at 8000.
A troop of dragoons sold for 7000 livres. No company or other appointment in the infantry, was allowed to be bought or sold. It will strike the military reader, that although the purchase of commissions was, in some degree, sanctioned by the old French government, it was nevertheless extremely limited, and confined to the upper ranks. The efficient part of the army, which is certainly the infantry, received its commissions gratis.
PRIZE-FIGHTER. See [Gladiator].
PRIZE-money, officers and soldiers of the line doing duty on board ships of war, are entitled to prize-money as marines.
PROA, Ind. A sailing vessel is so called in India.
PROBABILITY, (Probabilité, Fr.) is nothing but the appearance of the agreement or disagreement of two ideas by the intervention of proofs, whose connection is not constant and immutable, or is not perceived to be so; but is, or appears for the most part to be so, and is sufficient to induce the mind to judge the proposition to be true or false, rather than the contrary.
PROBLEM, (Probléme, Fr.) In the general acceptation of the term, a doubtful proposition, which will admit of several solutions.
PROCEDURES militaires, Fr. Military process. It consists in the investigation of all crimes and offences committed by soldiers which come under the cognizance of a military tribunal; in contradistinction to the authority which is vested in the civil magistrates.
To PROCLAIM, (Proclamer, Fr.) to promulgate or denounce by a solemn or legal publication. Hence, to proclaim peace, which is used in contradistinction to the term to declare, which denounces war. Both French and English say, Declarer la guerre, to declare war; proclamer la paix, to proclaim peace.
PROCLAMATION. An instrument which is published by the constituted authority of government, whereby the country at large is advertised of something, and whereby the people are sometimes required to do, or not to do certain things. A proclamation has all the efficacy of law, because it must be in concord with or founded upon the law already in being.