The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-08 00:00:00

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-PIPTII-

CIVIL 888 VICE

CONNOSIONERS.

'Rife stersiog wee Wooed tke Fifth Report of her
Majesty', Civil Berries Commbrionen (together with
apprdiees).. . .

OR previous ecations we have very folly explained the
mods in which we were endeavouring to disoltarge the duties
iinpesed tipon us by the order In mason under which we
sot, and no alteration of importance has been introduced into
oar system since the presentation of oar last repcet. At the
setae time there are some Babied' on which, in the ordinary
amuse of our proceedings, we should probably have thought
It right to make some obeervaticna, and among those "ob-
jects we have especially to refer to—(1), the examination of
lad July for the Civil Berries of India, eel the steps since
taken with releases to the legal training of the candidates
then selected as prohatketers ; (2), the examinations of can-
didate' for edmisaka to the dookyardi and steam factories
which we have very recently conducted at the request of
the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty [the dockyard
and factory examinations were held during the latter half of
last month, and the results were communicated to the Ad-
miralty by latices of the 14th and 16th February] ; sad (3),
the important question as to the best mode of filling Wirier
situations,ralsed ln a correspondenne which hes paned between
the authorities of the General Post °Massed this department.
The recent resolution, however, of the House of Commons,
under which a committee has bass appointed " to Invoke
into the present mods of nominating and examining can-
Mahe Ise junior appointments in the civil service, with •
viesrto saosetabs whethargreater facility may not be alluded
far the admission of properly qualified persona," appears to
render it desirable that we should on the present occasion
abstain from any legthesei diacuasioe, and ametent oeuvelves
with laying before your Majesty the statistical and other
details which it has been oar nand radios to appmd to our
repute. We premise only the felowing abort notices of cow
proessdings in saocessilve years :

- The total camber of nominations to situations to which the
order fa council has been applied was as follows:-1865-6
(19 scathe), 3,495; 1867, 2,189; 1858, 2,268; 1869, 2,918
[lnciedatg 391 pates who con:pond for sine writenhips In
the India-office]. Total, 10,860.
Of these nominations, the following wen nominations of
one candidate °sly ;-1855-6 (19 months), 3,037; 1867,
1,838; 1869, 1,426; 1959, 1,739. Total, 8,039.
The mantles of competitors and of the situation' for
which they were to compete have been :-1855-6 (19 months),
canpaitors, 468; mitsadons to be competed for, 109. 1657,
competitors, 361, minutiae; 106. 1858, competitors, 833;
situations, 258. 1869, competitors, 1,179 [including 391
person" who competed for nine writershipe in the India.
' office] • situations, 259. Total, competitors, 2,821; situ-
lions, 732.

The oartitlartee end rejections have been:-1856-6 (19
erestbs), certificates, 1,686; rejections, 880. 1857, eartill-
cotes, 1,364; rejections, 490. 1868, certificates, 1,164; re-
jections, 292. 1819, ciertiticatee, 1,511; rejections, 310.
Total, earthiest'', 6,705 ; rejections, 1,972.
It wail, however, be wrong to infer that this &dine in
the proportion of rejections to certificates is due altogether
to en improvement in the attainments of candidates, the
real canoes being the reduations which in some cams hays
been made in the subjects of examinations, sod the intro-
duction of new chums of situations for whkh a very low
standard has been flasd.

The specific) grounds of rejection in the 319 oases of 1859
ars stated in the Appendix; but it may be worth while here
to mention that out of the tgtal number of oesdidatse ro-
jecied (1,972), all but 106 have failed either in anthinstio or
in spelling, Dom., of course, to other subjects also.
The mum in which nominees have been considered ineligible
In respect of age, health, and character have bem as fol-
lows :-1855-7, age, 218; health, 42; character, 35. 1868,
sgs, 69; health, 63; chersotar, 20. 180, sge, 66; health,
16; character, 21. Total, age, 343 ; health, 88 ; charac-
ter, 76.

The largest 'methadon conducted by to during the year
1869 wee one undertakes at the request of the late secretary
of eters for India. In our hat report we gave the details of
that examination at a length which we considered to be jus-
tified by the importance which attached to it se the first open
competition for situations in the home MCI servico of the
mown. We advert to it now principally because, owing to
the large number of candidates who then competed, the
average number of competitors ls ooneidersbly greeter, in
proportion to the number of situations df.poeed of in 1859,
than it otherwise would have been. Including the India-
office examination, the average proportion of competitors to
vacancies is 1869 was 4 to 1, while excluding it the propor-
, tics was only It to 1.
The number of competitive examinations conducted under
our dhectioes during the year 1859 wea 98, and by those
maraisaticess 268 appointments were disposed of. The total
number of competitors examined wes 1,107 (as above men-
tioned), and of the 849 who were neaucossehtl, 710 were not
considered to hays ceased examinations which would have
entitled them to eartificates if they had presented themselves
with skeelate nominations.

With referencia to the number above stated es that of the
competitive examinations held during the year, it should be '
mentioned that In several cuss we have thee requested I.
specify the names of these candidates for whom, though un-
successful, we aboald be able to grant certificates of qualifi-
cation me vseanciee might error. This information having
been obtained from as, applications for certificates have bees
made immediately or after short intervals, so that the only
prim really to be gained in the competition, wu a slight
priority of ex ointment. It may be questioned whether
these examinations ere with propriety clamed as competitions.
We have mentioned in framer reports that It was our
practice to permit candidata to seises, subject to our ap-
proval, in addition to the sabji eta preacribed by the depart-
mental authorities, ethers in which they might be examined.
Where candidates have availed themselves of this option,
oar rules have been the following That in the ease of
those who pared in the prescribed sabjects and at-
gained themselves creditably In the extra subjects, honorary
addition'', specifying the subjects and characterbieg in
the Samoa which appeared appropriate the degree of
peoGeleney displayed, should be meth the certificate of qua-
lification. 2. That in the ass of thou who either failed in
the prescribed sublects or did not show any ►cgcaittance
deserving commended= with those selected by themselves,
eta notice should be taken of the voluntary portion of the
saamteation.

The numbers of Imetesury certiflcetes granted In successive
rim Pave bum ILI bikers :-1866-6 (19 months), 243;
111117, 169; 18611, 174; 1960,182. Total, 743.