The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-26 00:00:00

bus extended-to a certain number-of-ecclesiastics in each
country.

That a mocha virendi has been under discussion between
M. Nigra and M. de Lavalette, and that the latter has
authorised the Italian Minister to give hopes to his
Government of a withdrawal of the French troops within
a given time, there is very little doubt, and this in the face
of his own words in the French Senate. A triple occupa-
tion of Austria, France, and Italy is also spoken of, but
all these projects are ignored by the Pope, who will not
allow them even to be mentioned to him, and who is
resolved to lend himself to no compromise. If France
decides upon abandoning the Roman territory, a Prussian
legion would be sent next clay, and the certainty that
Rome is to be maintained neutral and free and sovereign
by the Protestant Powers, if the Catholic Powers
abandon her, acts as a powerful drag on any con-
cessions on the part of Napoleon to his Italian
allies. My own sources of information lead me to believe
that some attempt at a modus vivendi will be made by
him after the elections, but whatever it is, the Pope will be
no party to it ; and therefore the entire odium of any
attack on Rome will rest on the framers of the new con-
vention if it is not observed. About the end of June the
situation will become more aceentue, as the French say,
and speculation before the result of the elections is decided
is useless.

Mazzini and the brothers Garibaldi are in full activity,
and the uncertainty of matters in Spain alone retains the
Republican party in Italy froM another attempt. The
Spanish Government have, by the way, sent their
congratulations to the Pope, with a avery cordial message,
since I wrote to you. The Count of Girgeitti and his wife,
the Infanta of Spain (daughter of Isabella) have arrived
here.

Queen Christina has given orders to sell her furniture
and let the Palazzo Albani in apartinents. It is reported
that she is raising money to bribe Prim to support her
daughter's restoration, or rather that of the Prince of
Asturias with a regency, as Isabella is resolved to abdicate
in favour of herson.

A letter from Jerusalem states that the Princess de la
Tour d'Auvergne has bought the Mount of Olives, has
presented it to the French Government, and is about to
complete a beautiful cemetery for foreign Catholics. The
" Our Fathers," in immense letters of bronze, is inscribed
in a different language over each gate of the Campo Santa.
The same letter says that the waters of the Mediteranean
have reached those of the Bitter Lakes on the Suez Canal,
a sign the work is well advanced. It will be opened next
October.

MR. JENCKES' CIVIL SERVICE REFOR3

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
Mr. JENCKES, the Representative from Rhode
Island, introduced, on the sth instant, his
bill to reform the Civil Service of the United
States, after a long and able speech. This is his
third attempt to secure the passage of a measure
which most sensible men believe to be the only
means of arresting the general tide of corruption
now flowing with so baneful an influence over the
Union. On the day his first attempt was defeated
by two votes, in the Thirty-Ninth Congress, a clerk
defrauded the Treasury out of an amount more
than sufficient to paid a year's expenses of the
Commission he desires to establish, which would
effectually have prevented such a clerk, who had
obtained his appointment under an alias, from
getting into the position to effect such a cheat.
While the secon 1 bill was under debate in
the Fortieth Congress a system of peculation
was discovered in drawbacks, by which the
Government lost, in a single Custom-house, money
enough to pay the expenses of that Commission for
at least ten years, on the calculation that it would
annually cost $60,000. No doubt, if Mr. JENCKES
would seek the information, he would be able to
put the climax to this story, by telling what took
place while the third bill was being discussed ; but
we hope he may be deprived of aay after opportu-
nity, by securing its passage. He proposes to leave
the appointments which now require the sanction of
the Senate untouched as the prizes of the politicians.
Thus, not only would all the great offices of State,
such as move with every change of Ministry in Eng-
land, be changed on the advent of a new President,
but the thousands of minor offices, also to secure
which Washington has been thronged,the Capitol and
the PRESIDENT besieged. Mr. JENCKES' bill would
not interfere with that scramble, which many con-
sider to comprise all offices. These are the heads of
Departments, Assessors, Collectors, Postmasters, as
well as the Consular and Diplomatic Service, but
those which this bill proposes to deal with are the
forty thousand officials subordinate to them. It is
not the offices eagerly canvassed and discussed in the
newspapers that Mr. JENCKES seeks to ill with the
qualified class, but the secret appointments about
the selection for which the public learn nothing.
'4 I have seen," said Mr. JENCKES, " Custom-Louse
clerks who know no more of the foreign weights
and measures in the in voiccsiand of the coinage in
which the goods were valued, than of Sanscrit ; ap-
praisers who had no more idea of the manufacture
or cost of the articles than of the physical constitu-
tion of the moon ; gaugers who could not read their
instruments; and collectors and inspectors to whom.
the common chemistry of distillation was as much
unknown as any of the lost arts." Not only is the
Government plundered by the connivance of bribed
officiaLs, but it is still more defrauded through the
ignorance of its guardians, who, even if willing, are
incompetent to protect it. Against Gen. BUTLER'S
assertion, that the higher grades do most thieving,
Mr. JENCKES argues that, if true, no more effectual
check could be placed on the superiors than in the
integrity of the subordinates, for these frauds can-
not be perpetrated without their knowledge. But,
he says, the plunder is chiefly effected before the
money reaches the higher
amtri.tsjEsNocuKrcEes inappinenaursmetiosabtlheinksmatlhlatthbeyftgs
grades, being stopped
would attract, the Government would adopt
the hi
better class, betting
btai
ennsg:
permanent appointments
cplanlla
cheaper;
bhonestring collection.bringing
the Northattoonmlyo,rbeutretah.e
expense down
sonable proportions. The cost of collecting the In-
ternal Revenue is five per cent. on
receipts, just,
double that in other well-orde I
re( countries,
being at the same time the worst collected and the
most costly. This, however, should not be over-
looked that the expense of collection must be
in a measure in proportion to the destiny of
population. Mr. JENCKES would authorise the
President to form .a Civil Service Examination
Board of four officers for a term of five years ; each
on an annual salary of $5,000, to prescribe the quali-
fications and provide for the examination of candi-
dates ; to keep lists in the order of fitness for places
and promotion ; and determine the rules for mis-
conduct or inefficiency by which members of the
service should be discharged. All citizens to be
eligible—males and females. Each applicant to pay
a fee of $5 for examination, and $lO on receiving a.
certificate of recommendation for appointment. The
duty of the Commissioners will then extend to sepa-
rating the wheat from the chaff, and sending the
names up in batches for the PRESIDENT to deal with.
They will have nothing to do with the nominations,
the departments making their selections as the PRE-
SIDENT may direct. Whilegrieving over the venality,
the nepotism, the incompetency, and reckless disre-
gard of the public interest, Mr. JENCKES denies that
integrity, honesty, honour, and patriotism have
died out in the Republic. Eight
years ago many
affected to believe that the race of brave men had
become extinct in America, but circumstances
soon
showed that those who held such an opinion were
wrong ; those also who profess to believe in univer-
sal dishonesty would be shown to be in error if this
measure were carried into practice.. Such a mode of
selection, instead of being an innovation, is in true
harmony with the original theory and practice of the
Republic. It abolishes patronage, which is -a word
repugnant to Democratic institutions; it bars the
invasion of the Executive functions by members
of the Legislature, which is not only a usurpation,
but an influence as demoralizing to the one as to

the other, and still more so to the public service.
Instead of creating a privileged class Mr. JENCXES

asserts that it would destroy a privileged class.

Now the avenue is closed by barriers to the general

public, the bars being in the hands of those who let

in their followers only. It is absurd to call that

erecting a privileged class which throws open the

service to every citizen of the United States, demand-

ing what is the right of the country to obtain and

retain only the best men procurable. The RPpub-
_

limn theory is not that all men are equal in q-uaii-

fications, but that all should start on the ennui level,
no hindrance being placed by the State in any one's
way. Nor is the Government an almshouse for

the imbecile, the inebriate, the blind, and the lame,