The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-02 00:00:00

rr HE OXFORD. 6, OXFORD-STREET.-
A_ EVERY EVENING.
HENRI and PFAU, in their intrepid Double Feats on the

Flying Trapeze.

Two Operatic Selections alternately from " Erman',"
Macbeth," "Il Trovatore," "La Traviata," "La Circas-
sienne," &c., by Miss Russell, Madame Enderssohn, Messrs.
Morley, Greene, C. Greville, and Albert. Full Band and
Chorus—(Conductor—Mr. F. Jonghmans.) Violin Solos—.
.Viotti Collins, and other Vocal and Instrumental attrac-
tions. The Comic portion by Messrs. Sam Collins, Harvey
and French (the Nerves), E. Marshall, and W. Randall.

II all, ad.; Stalls and Balcony, le. ; Private Boxes, 10s. 6d.
NOTICE.—The Morning Performance advertised for Thurs-
day next will NOT take place.

RIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAY.—Morning, 3h. 43m.—Afternoon, 3h. 47m.
To-moRROW.-Morning, 4h. 13m.—Afternoon, 4h. 27m.

NOTICE.

All remittances are, henceforth, to be made to
Mr. JOHN CHAPLIN, at The Sun office, 112,
Strand, who has been appointed, by the Lord
Chancellor, Receiver and Manager of The Sun
newspaper, and the outstanding debts due in
respect thereof.

r .-‘..
~'
-,•"..4,c,',i1er" -01,,.., • -;_-•-,_,.. -..-!--:.•,,,.....-- - .•,[tr.,--,.,,
-- -s4 :: ! '''' • ' 7":..". fYk:'..,:',-.'?.:. '-i .%, .O.A. kPrC.)
-..e......'-
_
-,......_.,,

THE SUN.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1862.

A good deal of time was again wasted last even-
ing upon a reconsideration of the long-vexed
question as to the advantage or disadvantage of
competitive examinations. Mr. HENNESSY, it will
be observed from our epitome of the debates else-
where, began the discussion, according to notice,
by moving a resolution " in favour of throwing
open junior clerkships in the Civil Service by a
system of competitive examination to all subjects
of the QUEEN fulfilling certain conditions as to
age, health, and character, and that with this
-view it was desirable that the experiment first
tried at the East India House in 1857 should be
repeated from time to time in the other depart-
ments of the Civil Service." This proposition
baying been seconded by Mr. VANSITTAItT, was
met by an amendment of Mr. BAILLIE COCH-
RANE'S (amusingly seconded by Mr. PEACOCK)—
an amendment running to the effect " That many
of the qualities constituting a good public officer
—good principles, good habits, sound judgment,
general intelligence, and energy—cannot be tested
by any plan of piiblic competition ; the introduc-
tion, therefore, of such a system into all the de-
partments of the public service -would be very
injurious to their efficiency." Eventually, after a
rather smart discussion, this amendment of Mr.
CommaNE's, on being put to the House, was
,emphatically negatived. And the original motion
was then left face to face with the War Seere-
tar.y's counter-resolution, that of simply moving the
previous question. Upon a division, Sir G. LEWIS
thus, it will be perceived, effectually quashed the
proposal of Mr. HENNESSY by carrying the previous
question by a clear majority of 21 in a house of 153.
Lost, and therefore utterly useless, as an effort to-
wards further legislation of any kind in regard to the
subject of which it treated, though Mr. HENNESSY'S
motion consequently was—it originated a discus-
eion, so lively and searching, upon the merits
and demerits of the system of competitive
examinations that the seemingly idle squandering
of the time consumed upon it yesterday is really
and truly not to be regretted. If the Government—
and the House of Commons with it—declined to
accede to Mr. HENNESSY'S jaunty proposition that
the experiment adventured upon in 1857 at the
India House should not be repeated and extended
in other branches or departments of the Civil Ser-
vice—we imagine that few will hesitate to recognize
the reasonableness of the decision arrived at by the
ov eminent. And a decision very lucidly explained
by Sir GEORGE LEWIS when he remarked, that
,6 they (her MAJESTY'S Ministers) had established
with regard
to those clerks whose duties were
merely mechanical
thosea simple standard of examina-
tion, while as to
from whom more intellectual
activity was required they had instituted a compe-
titive examination, founded
a limited competition,
the
ed
systemthe they
ce were e
simplenot prepared
competition,
e
th
r to go back to
or to adopt the
sy,3tetn of indiscriminate and open Competition, in
wilich the head of the offi=e would be wholly icre
.
soonk,ible for the moral character and
conduct of
the candidate." Here is exactly one of those
wise
decisions known as a selection among different
courses of the juste milieu. It is out of the question

nowadl:ys to ,suppose that the Government, that
anY GDvErutriailt for that matter, would be pr -

pared vummarily to abolish the existing :qyston of
ccrapeti:,ive .-:xE.,minations. It is equally out of the
etuestion, we take it, to Imagine that Ministers are,
on the other hand, ready at any one's instance, to
Widen aorf widen its application—the application,
that is, of the new system among the various dEpart-
ments of the public service. In the general principles
a the existing system, a statesman of advanced in-
telligence, like the noble lord the member for King's