The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-05-26
Movement Of Rciorm-.The British Ari,.
tOcIucy in Danger.

Movement Of Rci0rm-.The British Aris.
tOcTncy In Danger.
meeting had been summoned for the
9th OF May to consider the necessity Of re.
form in the Administrative Department of
the British Government. The transfer Of
power from the hands Of the aristocracy to
those OF the energetic middle class of Eng.
land has now commenced in practical man.
ner, and agitation will not cease until it be.
comes a consumnatcd fact The following
were the resolutions to be proposed:
That the disasters to which the country
has been subjected in the conduct Of the
present war are attributable to the ineGi.
cheney and practically irresponsible manage.
ment OF the various departments of the
State, and urgently demand thorough
change in the administrative system.
That the true remedy for the system Of
ma'admlnis.raton which has caused 50 Ia.
mentablc sacrifice Of labor, money and hui
man life is to be sought in the Introduction
OF enlarged experience and practicability in.
10 the Service Vi the, State. .,.-.l L.. ~.
Frs1nsstneSSafass6h fipm Snltg of those y,cr.
sons who possess in a high degree the prac-
tical qualities necessary for the direction of
affairs in great commercial country, is q
reflection upon its intelligence and q betray.
nj Of its interests,
mat - nile we d!sclaim every desire Of ex-
Guiding the aristocratic classes from partici-
pating in the councils the crown, we feel
It our duty to protest against the prcten-
SONS OF any section of the community to
monopolze the functions Of administration
That an Association be now formed to pro-
mote, by all constitutional means, the at
tainment Of Administrative reform.
Upon this movement the London Times
makes the following comment:
There is movement in the city for an
object which may be considered as novel
though the matter is old The
projcctors-at the risk, probably, Of being
thought enthusiasts a meeting
for what they call Administrative Reform
at the City OF London Tavern, next Satur.
day. As nation We have long been iloun-
dering in the mud, and have lately met with
such succession Of mishaps as would utter.
ly have ruined any private business. Had
this unhappy war been an affair Of merely
profit and loss, or a sort Of company for
trading in the Levant, it must have appear
ed long ere this in the Gazette, and the un.
happy creditors might have been Thankful!
for sixpcnce in the pound. The reason is
obvious-it has been carried on by people
selected, not for their political ability, but
Tor family. money, seniority, gentlcmanly
qualities, good looks, or any other reason
than fitness for the work to be done So, in
the language the enthusiasts we refer to-,
"thc true remedy for the system of mal-ad-
ministra,ion which has caused so lamenta-
bic sacrifice of labor, money, and human
life is to be sought in the introduction of en-.
!arged experience and practical ability into
the service Of the STATE This looks like a
bold move, considering the material now
chiefly used in that service. But, had the
present Lord May given one picture to be
engraved by young artist simply because
he was his own nephew, or had married his
niece; another to friends son, or a friends
friend; another to the son ofa marquis an
other to young man of particularly pleas.
ant appearance, who could sing good song
and made himself generally agreeable, he
'ia'S SNiNHNA u ii4l Nv
had filed every room in his hOu-c, but he
would never have entertained an Emperor
and become baronct.
lie went on the simple rule OF employing
those who could do the work well. Bu, this,
though it sounds simple, and though it is
much done in private affairs, is sort o.
discovery in the public service. Nay, it has
yet TO be discovered. II strikes the city
people, however, that if the public business
were to be managed in the same way as a
good private business, it might be found to
answer at last At all events, the exclusion
OF the right stuff is enough to account foI
the failure. As they say, simple enough
The exclusion from Office Of those who poss
css in high degree the practical quaIite:
necessary for the direction Of affairs in ;
great commercial country is n reflection up
on its intelligence and a b trayal Of its in
tercsts.' What they object to is not thu
employment Of Sons and nephcws, young
nob!emon, handsome young gentlemen, o
men Of good property, but the employment
requiring them to know ANYTHING about tn,
business, or being disposed to learn it.
! Had this war been money getting busi
ness, ship company, or railway company
it would not have selected for its supern
tendent, at a time of great pressure and dif
iiculty, an elderly gentleman, a martyr t,
the gout, and apt to be confined to his room
months at time. 1t would not have sen
IA its agent to principal station man win
refused to attend to the most pressing want
of the business, and who drove away all tn
other servants Of the company, whenever i
did not suit him to be "bored"
1t would not have put over an immcns
mass and complication of stores an homes
old fellow scarcely able to move or to com
prchcnd what he had under his charge. I
would not have left large ships to be loadc,
anyhow, and then sent them off thousand
ofmlcs, with nobody on board who coul,
say what there was under his feet, and whcr
it was to be landed. 1t would not hav
transferred its clerks from snug parlors an
quiet desks in this city, where they ha
grown old in pen, ink and paper, and plant
cd them suddenly at the head Of operation
requiring immense physical energy, keel
vigilance, variety Of resources, dashing cour
age, and other qualities that do not mprov
by age and scdentary life. 1t would hav
done its best to simplify the routine of tn
service, and would even have dispensed wit,
that routine whenever it stood in the way
Its principle would have been TO look to sue
cess, instead Of postponing all thought Q
success to blind regard for routine. Tn
only principle discoverablc in the actual cor
duct Of this unfortunate war has been
employ just the men, just the ships, just tn
material, just the forms of operation, tina
would prevent success. We could name
dozen officers employed who would spo
any business They would hang as dea
weight on the enterprise, clog its wheel.
or throw them out of gear.
A poor tailor, being released from trout
lcsome world and scoldng wife, appeared Q
the gate of Paradise; Peter asked him if Il
had ever been to purgatory. mo-" sal
the tailor, "l'vc been married"
ooh" said St, Peter. "that ia all n,