The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-08-16 00:00:00

THE MYSTERIES OF PATRONAGE.

We are not generally disposed to adopt very freely the
representations of the employed against the employer;
having a sort of impression that prejudice often consti-
tutes a leading ingredient in complaints of that nature ;
but that same quality, prejudice, or partiality, or by what-
ever other name it may be known, is not unlikely to en-
ter occasionally into the proceedings of others as well.as
of the mere servant. The master has, very properly, ex-
tensive powers. But the master's steward—not unfre-
quently the harder of the two—may have private interests
to advance ; or may, perchance, suffer personal dislike,
on the one hand, or partiality on the other, to sway him
in the exercise of his duty.
We will suppose a case. Let us imagine a noble
Lord, or other individual, having a large establishment,
who were good servants of his father or predecessor;
each, in his sphere, performing his duty faithfully. My
Lord chooses to appoint a new steward; and new stew-
ards, like new brooms, are supposed to sweep clean.
Indeed, what is the use of either one or the other, un-
less a few dirty corners can be cleaned out ? My Lord's
butler or head gardener happens to die or become past
work; and, very naturally, the under-butler or second
gardener, as the case may be, considers himself justified,
from long and faithful service, in looking forward to oc-
cupy the vacant situation. But the new steward thinks
differently. He whispers into his Lordship's ear that
the vacancy may be more advantageously filled up by
promoting to the office the under-butler or second gar-
dener of some family in the next county ;—that his Lord-
ship's wine, or his grapes and cabbages may be quite as
safe; and the duties of the situation may be better dis-
charged by the new corner than by those more prac-
tised in his service. This, we grant, is no novelty in
our days; for we happen to know a noble Lord who, in
a fit of economy, recently placed two of his head ser-
vants, (although quite competent to the performance of
their duties) on the retired list at nearly full wages, in
order to advance his shoeblack—who, like others of the
same craft, had done his dirty work, and had no better
qualification—at double wages to do the double duty of
his two old servants. But this is travelling from our
case. My Lord's servants, hearing of the insinuations
thrown out by the steward, naturally prefer a petition to
their master, praying inquiry into their conduct and
qualifications. Doubtless in such a case as this my
Lord would institute an inquiry, and if be found that his
old servants had, for 'Various periodi from ten to fifty
years, well understood and faithfully performed their du-
ties he would continue them in his service, and his old
under butler or gardener would succeed to the vacant
place. If my Lord acted rightly he would do this. Any
thing short of it would be injustice. _ _ _

This is our case. Its application, if it be applicable at
all, we leave to others. We think, however, that all
stewards should bear in mind, that the conduct of them-
selves and their proteges ought to be such as will bear the
closest inspection.