Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-05-28
The Ci,iI service mn.

Mr.. Jenoks Of Rhode Island recently
reported 20 Congress an important uii,
entitled, 1.-THE Civil Service BIZ, Ihe
subject Of inefficiency in the civil service
has long been subject Of comment as
well as anxiety ON the part Of our Ma
tional Legislators The principal points
OF the new bill are as follows; II provides,
in the first place, that there shall be erea'
ted new department of the government
10 he called the department OF the eivii
service, and that the Vice President OF the
United States shall be its head,
That heNaiter, all appointment Of civil
officers in the several departments Of the
civil service, except postmasters and such
officers as are required by law to be APP
pointed by the President, shall be made
from those persons who shall have been
found best qualified for the performance OF
the duties of the respective Offices in open
and competitive examination, This is the
principal feature of the bill, The other
sections provide the means by which these
examinations may be conducted. A
hoard of -four commissioners, to hold their
offices for FIVE years. shall be appointed by
the President, by and with the consent Of
the Senate The Vice President is also a
member Of this board and its presiding
officer. Each commissioner is to receive
Ave thousand dollars per annum. fox his
services, and the Vice President is TO re-
oeive that sum in addition To his regular
salary. The duty assigned TO the board
il TO decide upon the necessary qualifiea-
tions necessary for the various Offices and
grades of the civil service, and provide
rules for the examination Of applicants,
appointing the times and places, and di.
viding the country into convenient terri
torial districts. They are to make full
report each year to Congress of their ex-
animation and rules.
The Board are to be empowered to pre-
scribe by general rules what misconduct
or inefficiencv shall be sufficient for the
removal of officers, also the manner of
preferring charges for the trial of those
who may be accused of misconduct The
President may send before them for ex-
animation any appointecs that may apply
to him All citizens Of the United States,
men and women alike, are 10 be eligible
10 examination and appointment.
The number Of officers now employed
by the government in the various branches
Of the civil service exceeds the aggregate
of officers and men, soldiers, sailors and
marines employed in the army and navy
To these persons is entrusted the entire
administrative business of the govern
ment; they are the eyes and hands of
every branch of the service; they consti-
tute the whole clerical force of the execu-
tive and administrative departments of
the government, the agencies Though
which the public lands are disposed of
and the Indian affairs are managed, the
commercial intercourse with foreign ma
lions regulated, the execution of the post I
alsystem conducted, and the collection and
disbursement of all revenues and public .
moneys. The responsible heads of the
department do not do the work it is left
10 subordinates
The system proposed in the civil service .
bill has been the subject of careful consid
Grafton in foreign countries, and has
proved success wherever it has been put
in operation, as.in England and Prussia,
80 far as the subordinate offices are con-
eerned, This, or similar system, seems
to have become a necessity, to make the
civil service efficient and intelligent, for
by the present system the occupants are
changed by each administration or ac-
cording to the eSigencies of politics. The
economical relations OF the bill are worthy
Of consideration, and have met the APP
proval of the committee on retrenchment
1t is in harmony with republican prin-
ciples, and is in no sense a partisan meas
ure. 1t is a matter of surprise that many
Of the measures OF this character should
receive so little attention from the public
journals of the people. If it becomes
law, as it ought it will revolutionize our
entire system Of government service, saw
ing millions Of dollars to the public treas
ury, and will SET the national government
free from the load Of political patronage
under which it has so long labored
SENATORS FOWLER AND Ross.-Sena-
tor Fowler filed his opinion against the
whole eleven articles of impeachment ON
Friday. This leaves only Senator Ross
of the seven Republicans required to de-
feat conviction uncommitted upon the re-
manning ten articles