New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-22
PSCIIsH ODDITIES.
s<Ivlces.

For example, tie CROCHET seems 10 have GOT INTO
their beaos that illness for sn Office is necessary
qualification for receiving it The other day Tor
in.tspce, the Lord Chancellor vas called over the
coal. for having appointed his son-iu-l.@, Mr..
| William Francis Higgins, to the important poet OF
Master in Luz sey mot in Chsbcery, though to
unearred reader, the terms may seem TO be
yponymous), with the comfortable salary of
G2O1O per .nnup, for the most extraordinary
reason that il was 81 appointment not BIT to be
n,de. Nj George Give, the member for Here
ford, WHO interpellste3 the Chancellor OF the Ex-
cbequer on the subject, declared that unlc" Mr.
Higgins derived his inspiration from bis proximity
to the wools,ck, il would be difficult TO im,giue
where he got bis qualifications. Though bred to
the bar, be had never practiced at it, and it vas
not easy to see where he could have acquired that
knowledge of law, that familiarity with hospitals
and asyums and that facility in dealing with juries
which the most important duties Of his Office
would require Of him.
1t seems Mr.. Higgins bad spent the chief Of
his pas. life as q clerk in the Colonial Office, at
which time he was so lucky as TO win the heart and
hand Of the daughter Of Sir Frederick Thesiser
On the elevation of that eminent lawyer to tho
woosack as Lord Chelmsford, be proceeded at once
to manifest to the world that he was not an nfde,
BIZ providing Literally for them Of his own household,
at the public e1 pense. Mr. Higgins was, consequent
", appointed Registrar in Bankruptcy post of
about { 300 per annum A Mastership in Luna
cy falling in about this time, his Lordsbp strength
eued his claim to the Christian character, by be.
slowing on the same fortunate gentleman that yet
moro remunerstive responsibility. We readily
believe that what Mr.. Give said was true, that the
appointment gave great dissatisfaction in the pro-
e..ion for so good thing as this is not to be had
every day and there are many persons actually
able and willing 10 FL the place than j. can hold at
once. Mr.. Disraei vas not prepared to answer
the question on the spot but he had no doubt that
il would reach the ears for which it was intended
and produce reply. And so it did, for the next
night, on the question being repeated, the Chan
celor of the Exchequer replied thst Mr. Higgins
had resigned his post, not because he considered
him,elf unfit for it, but because it was not coDsis
tent with his feelings to retain it after what had
paaed. And so poor Mr.. Higgins was squeched.
We need not advert TO the manifold inconyen-
fences which would result to the public service in
this country, should this preposterous innovation
ever obtain here. What should we DO for public
officers if we objected to them merely because Of
their incompetency' How could the Government
of the nation be carried on, under such disadgan-
tges as these' The Supreme Court room at
Warrington, for instance, would become bowling
wilderness; for no one Of ordinary discretion sup.
poies that those "robed men Of justice" are put
in there because they are the fttes. ones. Mr..
Mason would have 10 make haste home from Paris
| and Mr.. Jones from Vienna, and pretty nearly all
our foreign ministers, if our Senators bothered
their heads with any such NICE unnecessary scrupes
as this. II even might come to be thought that an
ambassador to foreign court should be able to
speak some other language than bad English. And
then how il would cut in upon the sweetest chart
ties Of life There is this very son-n-lsw question,
for example. A very respectable young gentleman
| in Boston, we are informed, enjoys lucrative
| Office connected with the Custom. House there,
simply for having married the daughter Of Mr. Ru-
fus Choate, whose Eleventh hourism did not hinder
his thus receiving his penny by proxy. And We
| might come nearer home and 60 further abroad for
| illustrations how much better We manage these
matters hero than they Do in EOglaDd. But tai,
| must suffice.
The simplicity Of our plan is what distinguishes
! it the most from the buDglng devices Of the En-
gii,h. The scale we use is perfectly ineligible,
and its operation as certain as any invention merely
human can be. The man who has done the most
to secure the nomination and election Of tho sue
cessful candidate for President has the first choice
| Of Offices. Then the one who comes next, and so
on down 10 the very last tide waiter and excise
man. The only difficulty is to SETTLE sometimes,
| the relative claims of rival candidates as to the
amount of service. But th,t question answered,
the rts settles itself. The best and mos. faithful
servAnt among the competitors for reward has the
plunmie.t piece Of pudding assigned to him to
which his services entitle him. Our tnnetiomaer,
or scale for graduating official rewardr indicates,
approximately st lea,t, the amount Of pecunisry
compensation which should beloUg to each degree
Of help in boosting the great man up to the White
House, and the Office 20 which the necessary salary
is annexed is bestowed on the virtuous laborer
cordipg 10 bis deserts. II is obvious how much it
would comphca.e the matter if any thing so entirely
foreign to the merits Of the case as the fitness OF
the particular man for the particular place should
be permitted TO enter into the question. II is
happy for our oticeholders that they
- have not 20 fear.
"SaeA harrh ana arbitrary MEASURE HeEs"
a, WA meted on. 10 Mr. Higgins, in England Or,
If Il were ATTEMPTED we have too rood a. opinion