The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-01 00:00:00

110 W TO REFORM' THE ADMINISTRA-
TIVE FO ME. S.

(From the Exaininei•.)

A meeting has been held at St. Martin's Hall, to
Consider the necessity of a vigorous effort to counteract
existing abuses in the administration of the affairs of the
country, to expose corrupt influences and favouritism in
Government appointmehts—the consequent inefficiency of
the public service and enormous increase of taxation.
In plain and homely words, this was a meeting to up-
root all abuses, and put everything to rghts er ery where.
Strange to say, it was thinly attended, not more ilia,'
200 persons having responded to this summons to rescue
the State from corruption and incipacity. How can
this fact be accounted for ? Was it, indifference to the

object, or was it that men, such as feortal men ordinarily
are, did not feel themselves equal to the Herculean task
of cleansing the Augean stable, and puttieg allibings and
men to rights ? Did persona win, did not found in them-
'selves a mis.-,ion to save a sinking Sate, apprehend that
they would u,,t be the right men in the right place for
this momentous discus>iou ? Strange diffidence !
The meeting ba i the advantage of the assistance of a
deputatton of the Administrative Reform Assorvation,
who of course perfectly understood what was to be done,
and how to do it, But we confess we were somewhat
startled by their spokesman's (Mr. Bell) statement, that
The.association which he represented was not intended
to be permanent in its duration, but would cease to exist
when the purpose for which it was established should be
. accomplished.
We should have thought that such an association
would have looked forward to a length of days, compared
with woich the life of Methuselah was; a span. The As-
sociation, if it be what it professes, is a scaffAding to
take Own a, gigantic pile of abuses, and to build up
in its stead a faultless structure on a solid and sure

foundation. Compared with this undertaking, to
pull to pieces and recomitnict one of the pyramids
would be ►evelling and restoring a mole-bill. And
the diffidulty that lies here in the first step is stupen-
dous. For in order to render the Administrative Re-

form Association an instrument fir hoisting the right
Man into the right place, the Association must itself be
coinp.sel of right men in right places, for which essen-
tial condition there is at present no sort of guarantee.
Sir j,,kin Shelley, ilideeo, remarked, that

If they had done nothing more than originate that ad-
mirable phrase, "The right ma❑ in the right place," they
had.not lived fur nothing.
But dues the member fur Westminster really, in the
simplicity of his heart, believe that the A,sociation ori-
ginated " that admirable phrase," which is as old si
anything uad•r the sun, and which has been a problem
baffling solution since the beginning of things. We
hail be dispo,ed to question whether Sir John Shel;ey
Is the right man in the right place, if he evinces such
grcenties,,. The "annul-able Oral." is a trite truism;
the application is the difficulty. Which is the right
man, which the right place? Here were two hundred
sages assembled itt St. Martin's hall, and they could
wit find a right man among them. Several, perhaps ail,
thought themselve• right men for any and every place,
but each individual could find no other to concur in this
reasonable opinion.
• A Ms. Finlan, a Chartist, was the first to discover
and proclaim that the meeting was a thing of chaff.

He said, that there had been nothing definite yet pro

posed, and that what the country wanted was something
palpable, something which cduld bo seen, felt, and valued.
.Che chairman had tkid them that there was a " spicy" bill
of fire before them, but the Administrative Reform Asso-

elation had failed. to give to the people that which they
really wanted, !and which they had so often in vain de-
manded. The- Administrative Reform Association could
scarcely be considered a popular association, when on such
an occasion it was only able to muster some 200 or 300
persons; but be did not think that was surprising when
they remembered that its objects wore altogether insipid.
(Laughter .and cheering.). : The association might
'please it' few disappointed electioneering candidates, or it
might be supportedl4 people who wished to be lifted into
the House of Coinineue upon the backs of constituents
whom they would betray as soon'as they had taken their
seats. Why, at a meeting of this very association at Drury-
lane Theatre some time ago, Mr. Tite, member for Batn,
avowed his ignorence of politics, and said his studies had
been directed to very different objects; but. he (An Fin-
lay) supposed that, when Mr. Tite was elected, the associa-
tion considered• that be was "the right man in the right
place."
These were shrewd bits, and called forth Mr. Bell in
vindication of the association, who
- Replied, that the primary object of the association was
to throw open all situations under the Government to pub-
lic competition. (lieu, hear.) The supporters of the
association wished to abolish the system of dispensing Go-
verornent patronage in order to maintain corrupt political
influence, and their desire was,. that every man in the
country should be enabled, if he chose, to submit to an
examination, upon po.ssllog which he would be eligible f.r
employment in the' public service when a vacancy might'
occur.
The comprehensive project is thus to give public em-
. ployment to every one. Each moan capable of passing
an examination is to be a candidate, waiting only a va-
cancy for a situation wider Government. The whole
country is to he-. one huge ante or waiting room for
office. .
- - -

A Mr. Stainsby now put in a word of good sense :
he _ _

Thought the great mistake made by the promoters of the
Atl winistrative Reform Association was, that they did not
appear to have any definite objects in view.
Lois gentlemao probably to irks that a parrot might be
taught to repeat
.everlaAtingly the admirable phrase
" the right man in the right place," without adding very
materially to the world's wisdom, or the adjustment of
means to ends.
Mr. Bel, for ever in requls'tlou, again came fortil to
the rescue of the Ai.sociation with this rather awkward
declaration :

He milet tako upon himself the responsibility of having
called the meeting, aud of having caused any app trent dif
ference of opinion among reformers with regard to the ob-
ject for which it was convened. He had been cautioned
against calling a public meeting on the ground that.a spe,-
tees of tyranny was exercised by certain gentlemen it
Westminster, who atteiole 1 every political meeting for
the purp,sa of creating- a disturbance.
So tna., after all, even here in St, Nlartin's-hall, on
such an occasiin---no other than the vigor.tus eff trt to
c,unteract existing abn,es, expose corrupt influence-,
and the consequviit 'inefficiency of the public ser-
vice, and enormous increase of taxation—here were
wrong men in th-, wrong place ; and out of a small
Ras impossible to agree
assembly of two hundred,
mho were the 'right men and who the wrong. The
finale was the eitairmaT.'s decision that nothing was car-
ried ; every proPoSal was negatived at this grand meet-
ing to put everything to rights. Such, even such, was
the lame and itnpotent conclusion of " the vigorous
eff,rt."
Administrative Reform obviously wants some school
log. An examination to test the capacity of its pr.tfes-
sors is requisite. It may be confined to the import of
"the admirable phrase," which is the 'motto and 'the
object of the society. The question for the candidate
should be,—BY what
signs and tokens do you recognise
aright man, and his aptitude for the particular place
called the rightl and farther, upon what grounds do you
a',;sutne that all the honest and wise part of the commu-
nity will concur' in your judgment, and give it their
support!
Administrative Reform is an excellent proposal, but,
like many other good things, it. is in extreme danger of
being quacicotte death. Whenever a good thino- is
without avowed enetnie') beware of its officious friends,
fer they will werk to its prejudice what no open opposi-
tion could acc"tnplish. What should be grave they turn
to farce. What should
,be practicable they render
chimerical by their extravagances and exaggerations.
T 'ey fight rttt.U4.hiil battle with anuses, their voices arc
never beard white qoestions like those of the Crimean
miStuanageopht, and the rewards of the unworthy, are
in hot debate ; hut, these holPay champions come forth
alter the battle, E tstern phrase, "throwing, words in
the air," of Which nothing can collie but a contempt for
their weakness and felly, some of which glances preju-
dicially on a cruse worthy of a better fate.

2'llBB 51Gil:TING :LB AND S9LDIERS'

V/Di TVS.

The wife of a private soldier, belonging to the 89th
Regiment, Staying Witii her children at Sauth Shields,
n.)t haviog heard from her husband for many mouths,
and hearing of Miss Nightingale, was induced to write
to that excellent lady, begging of her it she could to give
her any i"Ntmation 6f hix hasbancL The following re-
ply, so fell of feeling and sympathy, yet so clear and
explicit, and conveying all essential information to the
poor won% necessary to procure help for herself and
poor childrOc, ha's been received from Miss Nightingale,
and appears 3 model for, English ladies in communicating
informatiAi to the viocr in their, distress
" Scutari, Barrack Hospital, March 5.

g, Dear mr,. LaNA reaece,— I was exceedingly grieved
to recove your letter, b 'cause I have only sad news to
give you ltiiireturn. Alas ! in the terrible time which we
had he'e last year, when we lost, from 70 to 80 men per
day in these hospitals alone, many widows have had to
sufferliks you, and your husband was', I regret to say,
antibng the number. 'He died in this hospital, Feb. 20,
1855, Jtigt at the time when our mortality reached its
height, of fever and dysentery, and on that day we
buried 80 men.,
" Iu order that I might be sure that. there was no
mistake of name, and. that there were not two men of
the game name, I wrote up to the colonel of his regi-
ment, mned n t
Who confirms the sad news in the note I enclose,
a
~ough••• he is mistaken in the precise date of
your husband's death, there is no mistake, alas ! in the
fact.

6
%ished to get this reply before I wrote to you.
hieXour hu•tbantl's balance due to him was 1/.2.7t.41.,
w
was remitted home to the Secretary of War
September 25, 1855, from whom you can have it on
aTieation. •
As you were not aware of being a widow, you are,
of eoaree, not in receipt of any allowance as a widow ;
Pulithould therefore make applicAtion to Lieut Col.
Lorey 8.A.., Hon, Secretary, Patriotic Fund, 16 A,
GrratGeorge street, Wehttninster.
``l enclose the necessary papers for you to fill up.
Your colonel's letter will be sufficient proof of your
husband's death. I enclose it .ht that purpose.
`‘You will state ail particulars about your children.
"Your minister will he!p you to fill it up.
I am very sorry for you and your trouble. Should
You have any diffiitulty abotit the Patriotic Fund, you
Way make use of this letter, which will be sufficient
evidence for you to produce of your being a widow.
With sincere sympathy f)r your great to-s,
"I re'nain, yours truly,
" FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE.
"To Mrs-. Mary &pn Lava-a:lnce, widow ofTriyate
Lawreance, 88th Regiment."