New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-11

Some thirty years ago, it used to be the boast
Of Mr. Walsh Mr. Edward Everett and other
young champions of the United States-alas, how
fast time flies AS against the insoent and ar
rogant sneers and assumptions of the British Re-
views. that in all matters of reform upon old and
antauated usages and institutions, whether legal
reform OF administrative reform, we had set many
examples which our British older brothers might
do well to follow. The boast was true enough then
and the retort well put; but of late years, since
We have devoted ourselves to slavery and cOnserva-
tsm, Great Britain has stolen march upon us, and
has set us many examples Of improvement and re-
form, some of which we have initiated with advan-
lage, and many others of which we might initiate
with no less.
One of the most recent of these reforms
is the establishment Of Civil Service
Commission, so called, before which all
persons seeking commissions of any kind
in the civil servce-those Of the highest rank ex-
cepted-are obliged to appear and pass an eIamna-
ton. The English, it would seem, are not above
taking lessons from an enemy. Much as we may
ridcule the Chinese they are in all practical mat
tiers a very shrewd and sensible people. This prac-
tice of requiring candidates for Office to qualify
themselves by preliminary studies, and to prove
their qualifications by passing an examination, is
the Chinese practice, though perhaps the example
more Immediately before the eyes of the British
was that Of the Prussan and other continental
governments
The British Examining Commissioners entered
upon their duties in May, 1855, and recently pub
lished report contains an account of their labors
for the fret eighteen months. During this period
they acted On the cases of no less than 3,00l can
ddates, Of whom, however, only 1856 actually
underwent examination the remainder having
either declined il or been found morally or physi-
cally disqualified. OF those examined, $50 were
absolutely rejected-the reflections of 1855 being
29.5 per cent, and those of 1856 35.5 per cent of
the applications. 1.-The ordinary examinations
(which We superintend," cay the Commissioners,
are instituted for double purpose to ascer.
tam the candidates fitness for the actual duties
(which be will be called upon to perform upon bis
" frst admission to office, and to test his educa
ton and intelligence" The first test which they
apply is handwriting which figures for lO5 cases
among the reflections. The Commissioners, we
observe, were obliged to reject one accomplished
candidate solely on account of bis execrable pen
manshp. There are some otherwise tOlerably ac
complished persons among our acquaintance who,
We apprehend, were this test ever 10 be applied
here, would be forever excluded from all hopes of
Office or, at least, would be driven TO the necessity
Of hunting up writing-master.
OrthOgrapby comes next, and proves still more
serious stumbling block, since out of the whole
number of rejected candidates 80 fell short in their
spelling, and were rejected either for this fault
OF for that combined with other shortcomings.
Out Of e. sons Of noblemen and gentlemen who
were rejected, a per cent did not know how to
spell. Of those deficient in this respect % were
candidates for the higher departments. The Com.
mssioners furnish no less than "a folio pages of
specimens Of msspelling, among which are 6
false spelings Of the word ecclesiastical,
Of grievances, and IA of Mediterranean" II
is ingeniously suggested that, the English ortho
graphical system il the worst in Europe, and in
deed in the world it therefore affords better test
Of education than that Of any other people
A graduation at an English university is, it
appears, by no means 9 certain guarantee for a
competent knowledge of common arithmetic. Such
a graduate is more certain to have at bis tongues
end Greek meters than English measures. Out Of
'niy'siy reflections of candidates for the higher
pubic Offices sixteen deficient in this respect.
lhe denominations intended TO test superior
" degrees Of education and intelligence" relate
chiefly to English history and geography, and for
the higher departments to foreign languages. OF
the sItysiI reflections of candidates for the higher
departments, no fewer than forty-six were for
deficiencies in one or more Of the above three
branches, or for these combined with some elemen.
tary deficiency, while the ignorance on those
points displayed by the inferior class of can