The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-09 00:00:00

on every occasion when the subject was introduced, ex-
pressed their objection to that system. The real practical
matter at issue between the noble lord and the Govern-
ment was, to what extent the plan of voluntary competi-
tion amongst the limited number of candidates selected
by the heads of departments should be carried. What he
stated last year was, that it did not appear to him that
the system of competition could be applied with advan-
tage to that class of officers in the civil service who per-
formed for the most part mere mechanical duties—such
as watching, and duties of mere trust ; but that with re-
gard to clerks and other officers in the inferior depart-
ments, in whose cases a liberal education was expected,
a competitive examination amongst a limited number of
candidates, chosen.by the head of the department, would
be conducive to the public interest. His noble friend now
at the head of the Treasury had acted on that principle,
and had found the system work satisfactorily. With re-
gard to the diminished number of competitive examina-
tions during the last half-year, he was not aware that
such bad been the fact ; but he presumed that it had
arisen from some accidental variation in the number of
vacancies. The system had been adopted by the Trea-
sury, the War Department, the Home Department, the
Colonial Department, the Board of Trade—
A❑ HoN. MEMBER—Not the Board of Trade.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—WeII,
the Board of Works and some other boards. The heads of
these different departments had voluntarily adopted the
system. His noble friend had not felt himself justified in
making it compulsory ; but it had been recommended as
the practice of the Treasury, and a majority of the supe-
rior departments had carried it out. That mode of filling
up vacancies had led on the whole to the choice of can-
didates most qualified for the public service, and most
likely to discharge their duties in a satisfactory manner.
The Government did not intend to laydown any inflexible
rule on the subject, or to depart from the order in coun-
cil. The manner in which the appointments had been
made had proved to be satisfactory, and in taking a
general view of the manner in which the system had
been administered he believed the house would come to
the conclusion that a great and important advance with
respect to the nomination of candidates to the public
service had taken place since the first introduction of the
order in council. (Hear.)
Colonel SYKES thought the heads of the departments
ought to place a portio❑ of the patronage to public com-
petition. The system of nomination must necessarily be
'neffective. He was quite satisfied there would never

be a want of competition, for he knew many instances
of lieutenant-colonels and others on half-pay competing
for offices not of the most dignified nature, the salaries
of which did not exceed 601. or 701. a year.
Mr. VANSITTART wished to know on what prin.
ciple the Government granted or refused nominations for
candidates ?
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—On
the ground of efficiency. (Laughter.)
THE ITALIAN LEGION.

Mr. M. MILNES rose to put a question to her Ma-
jesty's Government respecting the engagement entered
into with the Argentine Confederation for the reception

and employment of a certain number of the officers and
soldiers of the Italia❑ Legion, and to ask whether the

authorities of the Argentine Confederation have adhered
to the stipulations of that agreement ! At the conclu-
sion of the war the Government made certain arrange-
ments by which a portion of the foreign soldiers employed
by this country were sent to the Cape and to Canada.
An offer was made to the Italian troops, and a document
was issued by the War-office which offered them some
remarkable inducements. They were told that Parana
was a perfect paradise, that it produced enormous quan-
tities of fruit of every kind—that ice was a thing alto-
gether unknown—that butter and beef could be bought
for a penny a pound ; but beyond all these recommen-
dations there was another perhaps still more attractive,
for they wore told that the women were remarkably
handsome—(laughter)—extremely industrious, and a
great many of them without husbands. (Continued
laughter.) The troops were told that they would re-
ceive a considerable portion of territory at a very mode-
rate rent. The result was that a considerable number
of the men belonging to the Italian Legion accepted the
offer ; but he understood that the arrangement had not
been properly carried out, and that, instead of finding
themselves in a flourishing colony, they were wandering
over the country in a state of great destitution. He
wished to know whether these men were actually in the
condition which he had described.

Sir J. RAMSDEN thought the explanation which he
was about to offer would satisfy the house that there bad
bee❑ no breach of faith, either o❑ the part of her Ma.
jAsty'i Government or the Argentine Confederation. At
the conclusion of the war the Italian Legion was dis-
banded at Malta. A considerable number of the men re-
turned to their homes, but the remainder, amounting to
rather more than 1,000, were not allowed to do so. They
were then brought to England, in order that they might
avail themselves of the opportunity of going to North
America or the Cape of Good Hope. Shortly after their
arrival in this country negotiations were entered into
with their government. and 700 •f them were allowed to
return to Italy. At that time an agent of the Argentine
Confederation was endeavouring to procure a number of
emigrants, and he applied to the Government to induce
them to use their influence with the men who had not
obtained permission to return to their country. The
Government declined taking any part in the transaction,
and referred the agent to the men themselves. His
terms were accepted by 350 of those persons, and they
were sent out in two vessels. On the arrival of the first
vessel at Parana the men disembarked, and found w ages
extremely high, not less than from 4s, to ss. per day.
They were to have a grant of 28 acres, with 61 a day
for the first year, 4d. a day for the second, and 2d. a day
for the third. Finding they could obtain so large a re-
muneration for their labour they applied to be released
from their original terms. The Government complied
with their req lest, and two thirds of them were released,
the other third determined to look at the place where
the land was which had been allotted to them. They
found it much further off than they had expected, and
applied to be all-iwed to return to Parana. Some of
them went on shore ; they refnsed to proceed further,
and demanded their liberty. This of course was granted
them immediately, and therefore it was entirely of their
own accord that these men had been released from their
stipulations, and not by any compulsion on the part of
the Government. He might state that he had seen a let-
ter from an English gentleman who had lived a great
number of years in the Argentine territory, and he stated
that the wages of unskilled labourers there was from 4s.
to ss. a day.