The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-28 00:00:00

,

-any other reason than fitness for the work to be done.
So, in the language of the enthusiasts we refer to, "the
true remedy for the system of maladministration which
has caused so lamentable a sacrifice of labour,
money, and human life is to be sought in the intro-
duction of enlarged experience and practical ability
into the service of the State." This looks a bold
move, considering the material now chiefly used in
that service. But had the present Lord Mayor given
one picture to be engraved by a young artist simply be-
cause he was his own nephew, or had married his niece;
another to a friend's son, or a friend's friend ; another
to the son of a marquis ; another to an aged dependent,
instead of a pension ; another to a young man of parti-
cularly pleasant appearance, who could sing a good song
and make himself generally agreeable, he might have .
stacked up his engravings till be had filled every room
in his house, but he would never have entertained an •
Emperor and become a baronet. He went on the simple
rule of employing those who could do the work well. '
But this, though it sounds simple, and though it is much.
done in private affairs, is a sort of discovery in the pub-
lic ~ervic:i. Nay, it has yet to he discovered. It strikes
the City people, however, that if the public business
were to be managed in the same way as a good private
business it might be found to answer at last. At .
all events, the exclusion of the right stuff is enough
to account for the failure. As they say, simply
enough, "The exclusion from office of those who
possess in a high degree the practical qualities
ilece,sary for the direction of affairs in a great commer-
ou
i
cial
of sons and nephews, young
betrayal ae4 nctfryit,iBirlaterreeSfiteSe."'io\n‘ruhartliet)s..:;l-njteecltligtoeniesen'otkdthae
ham,sitne young gentlemen, or men of
Had this hut the employment of those simply fur being such, and -
good, noblemen,property
business,
roerqubeiriniigigdtishpe,i)isiodtotok know
it.anything about the
aptioswar
tt'ol
not
ybob been
eahcnnao
vnae
company, or a railway company, it would not have
time.
sureonao
et and
andlt wd money-getting business, a ship
selected for its superintendent, at a time of great pres- '
efil doseeerndl yt
tgentleman,
as
i tisg argoeonmt a
tomm aoarntptyhr
principal
station a man who refused to attend to the most press-
ingmotehnesresmerasvasnatsndof
complication
peloicarnßation:owf
wants of the business, and who drove away all the
him to be "bored." It would not have put over an im-
hstetonreevseraint did not suitnid
fellow scarcely able to move, or comprehend what
he had under his charge. t woo
would
have left
large ships to be loaded anyhow, anduth not
them
off
thousands of miles, with
nobody
,On
beona art
say whot.there was his
.d could
- would net. taiirtianifergilfs
snug parlours and quiet desks in this city; why they
had grown old in pen, ink, and paper, and planted theta
suddenly at the head of operations requiring immense
physical energy, keen vigilance, variety of resources,
dashing courage, and other qualities that do not improve
by age and sedentary life. It would have done its best
to simplify the routine of the service, and Would
even have dispensed with that routine whenever it
stood in the way. Its principle would have been
to look to success, instead of postponing all thought
of success to a blind regard for routine. The only
principle discoverable in the actual conduct of this un-
fortunate war has been to employ just the men, just
the ships, just the material, just the forms of opera-
tion, that would prevent success. We could name a
dozen officers employed who would spoil any business.
They would hang as a dead weight on the enter-
prise, clog its wheels, or throw them out of gear. We
know not how better to describe the prevailing charac-
ter of the agency employed than by an illustration from
the land of blunders. There was a certain Irish com-
pany for working a coalfield, the produce of which some-
how or other would not sell in the market, it was so
bad. The directors met time after time to devise means
for forcing the coal on the reluctant public, but in vain.
At last a nobleman of equal candour and wit proposed a
resolution that every proprietor should agree to keep
two tens of the coal in his house, for, he added, with
much emphasis, "if a fire should by chance break out
in that house, the company's coal would be sure to put
it out." That is the only use we see for the crowd of
incapables, and impracticables, and incorrigibles em-
ployed in the conduct of the war. If any private busi-
ness should be too enterprising, too go-ahead, too likely
to spoil its proprietors 'by extravagant profits, then we
are sure that the mere presence of a few Government
employes .would be pretty sure to extinguish that dan-
gerous vigour.

The following resolutions are to be proposed at the
meeting for administrative reform at the London Tavern,
on Saturday, May 5, at 12 o'clock for 1 precisely :
" That the disasters to which the country has been sub-
jected in the conduct of the present war are attributable to
the inefficient and practically irresponsible management of
the various departments of the State, and urgently demand
a thorough change in the administrative system.
" That the true remedy for the system of maladminis-
tration which has caused so lamentable a sacrifice of labour,
money, and human life is to be sought in the introduction
of enlarged experience and practical ability into the ser-
vice of the State.

" That the exclusion from office of those who possess in a
high degree the practical qualities necessary for the direc-
tion of affairs in a great commercial country is a reflection
upon it; intelligence and a betrayal of its interests.
" That while we disclaim every desire of excluding the
aristocratic classes from participating in the councils of
the Crown, wo feel it our duty to protest against the pre-
tensions of any section of th© community to monopolise
the functions of administration.

" That an association be now formed to promote, by all
constitutional moans, the attainment of administrative re-
form.

" That the association be waled the Administrative
Reform Association, and that the following gentlemen,
with power to add to their number, be appointed the com-
mittee, to collect funds, to prepare an address to the cou-
stituents of the United Kingdom, and generally to carry
out the objects of the association."