The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-25 00:00:00

ble policy so long pursued, and which has led to
so many injurious consequences —so lavish
an expenditure of blood and treasure. So
far as the nation was concerned there was no
necessity for apologising for bringing on the
motion. His excuses should have been alto-
gether of a different description--for suffering
himself to be at all influenced by a dread of
the " vulgar imputations" which might be cast
upon his motives. By unprejudiced and right-
minded citizens out of the House, and not en-
gaged in the strife of party, looking to men rather
than measures, he will never be blamed for
bringing on his motion, and thus boldly
grappling with the difficulty, but he may be cen-
sured for so long postponing an obvious duty—
for yielding even a tacit assent to " the abnegation
of its functions " by the assembly of which lie is
a leading member.
His keen and searching exposure of the Minis-
terial policy, his unsparing dissection of the Vi-
ennese humbug, was perfectly conclusive. It
could not be refuted. Even a plausible answer
could not be put forward. Tho ex-Plenipoten-
tiary—the man who took so prominent a part in
stimulating the warlike ardour of the people
—who, after using as " prave ords " as
ancient Pistol, was still willing to swallow
the Muscovite leek, who exhibited an uncalled-
for subservience to Russia in his admis-
sions, and adopted the" practice of Ministers
at St. Petersburg by using one description of lan-
guage for his own people, and another of very
different tenour and effect for Europe, was scari-
fied by the vigorous assailant. The attack in-
duced Lord J. RUSSELL to speak, and made Minis-
ters abandon the course which they seem dis-
posed to follow for themselves as well as for the
nation—vi., to let their honour and safety rest
in the hands of auxiliaries rather than defend
them by their own personal exertions. Lord J.
RUSSELL, being compelled to rise, made one re-
markable admission, which fully confirms what
we have so long asserted, and which clearly
proves the absurdity of further delay. The
Noble Lord declared that he did "not expect
that Austria is prepared, in the present state of
the question, to take an immediate part in the
War against Russia with us." Why, then, fur-
ther procrastinate ? All this time we have been
"waiting for Austria "—have been cajoled by
fond, but illusory, hopes that she would fulfil her
promises and act an honest and straightforward
part. These expectations are, however, frus-
trated. That point is established on the highest
authority. What, then, are we now " waiting"
for? What can be the utility of further negotiation ?
The admission should prove decisive, as to the
motion, with every man who is not prepared to
sacrifice his country for the sake of party—to
destroy the prestige of the United Kingdom, and
seriously injure her vast interests for the sake
of obtaining some of the crumbs of patronage
that fall from the Ministerial table. Let these
things be pondered well by every man who wishes
to retain a character for independence before
he absents himself from the division, or walks
into the lobby in support of Ministers. Another
important revelation has been made. Mr.
GLADSTONE now stands forward as the avowed
supporter of the Peace-at-any-price policy, and the
rumours which have been circulated as to the
alliance between the Peelites and the Peace Society
are painfully confirmed. Let, then, every man be
at his post this night, when the fate of the country
for good or evil must be finally determined.

The Administrative Reform Associations will be
glad to observe that upon the case of the rejec-
tion at Woolwich of the scholars of tried merit
from Trinity College, Dublin, and admitted the
substitution of patronage appointments, Mr. JAMES
HEYWOOD has given notice of a motion for an
address recommending that the appointments there
shall in future be adjudicated to merit as tested
by public competitive examinations. The Order
in Council, and the appointment of Mr. EDWARD
ROMILLY, the declared advocate of aristocratical
selections, should also be brought under the notice
of the House, although the case of the rejections
at Woolwich will, by taking a division, serve the
objects of the local associations in distinguishing
the real friends of appointments or promotions for
merit.

The Order in Council, it is to be observed,
goes out of the way to declare that the Exarakiing
Board "shall not make any alteration in the no-
mination or appointment of candidates by those
who are or may be charged witli the duty of no••
mination or appointment." That is to say, the
patronage nominations are retained to Messrs.
HAYTER and WILSON, and to all those political
chiefs of the class who, according to the testimony
Of Mr. JAMES STEPHEN iliMilCif, "to gratify
their " political, domestic, or private feelings,
have brought the service into its present con-
dition of a clear majority of dangerously unfit
appointments.

But yet it may be said the candidates will now
be submitted to an examination, directed by an in-
dependent board. This independency in the sense
of impartiality we have shown to be impeachable.
Assume them, however, to be impartial ; grant
that the examiners are, what they will not be,
under existing arrangements, qualified to examine
as to the chief specialities of the several depart-
ments. The best examinations, without competi-
tion, can only be what are called "pass examina-
tions," and it is proved upon the experience of
specially qualified examiners, whose general inde-
pendence, probity, and impartiality is undoubted,
namely, in the examinations for medical degrees,
that these pass examinations are grossly defective.
So much is this so, that from whatsoever places
diplomas have been obtained upon the ordinary
examinations without competition and publicity,
the army and navy medical authorities re-examine
the candidates, These re-examinations—not in
themselves competitive—are most exceptionably
lax, yet the rejection of from one-third to one-
half of the candidates are by no means unfre-
quent. Notwithstanding the diplomas of M.D.
obtained by " pass examinations," it is shown
that medical men take care to re-examine
candidates for appointments to dispensaries.
In France competitive examinations (or the con-
cours) alone aro depended upon. An article on
the Army Medical Arrangements in the last num-
ber of the MGedico-Chirurgical Review, gives the
prevalent professional impression on the necessity
of introducing the contours in the medical insti-
tutions of this country ; and to this, after the cer-
tain failure of the worthlessness of the plan now
proposed, the civil services must come. No doubt
pass examinations will serve to prevent such scan-
dalous appointments as those described by Mr.
CHADWICK and others—such as of people incapable
of numbering or of writing, and utterly worth-
less. But Sir JAMES STEPHEN, who well knows
the difference between pass examinations and
competitive examinations, or examinations for
honours at Cambridge, saw at once in Sir CHAS.
TREVELYAN'S plan for competitive examination,
that it would be destructive to the incumbency of
those mediocrities in the public service for which
he sets up his profligate plea.
"But why, in the choice of clerks, are learning and
ability, and whatever else they imply, to have this in•
variable precedence? I❑ the dull details of public office,
there are many which the learned and able A will not
accomplish a whit better than the ill-informed and com•
mon-place B—nor perhaps so well. Surely, mediocrity
and even dullness—the lot of the vast majority—have
some claims, which are as well entitled to regard as are
those of learning and ability. It is not without sonic
reason that, in all other pursuits in life, patronage
exercised in the spirit of nepotism is made the shelter
of the weak and otherwise helpless."

from the Home-office,
To these appeals,
whfiic.oh:na rteh
es oßuonadreddoifn
Taraidues,
and from all the older offices, the present ar-
inggne mo n the
cofdtu
ll
neis as
s asatisfactory r
tays ssui
Flaalnlcneottili)aet
dis-
tiirbed. The answer to them by Mr. JOHN MILL
will now be for the consideration of the Acllninis-
tra.tive Reform Associations.
I "In the preceding observa'aions," Mr. Mill says, " I
t have assumed, as requiring no proof, that the object
proposed is in itself desirable ; that it would be a public
benefit if the public service, or all that part of it the
duties of which are of an intellectual character, were
composed of the most intelligent and instructed persons
who could be attracted to it. If there be any who
maintain a contrary doctrine and say that the world is
not made only for persons Of ability, and that medio-
crity also ought to have a share in it, I answer, cer-