The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-01-24

nc iCopouoC uouC W q qucStiCu
!, put by the Commissioner during the
past summer, to a leading official oil
one of the states above referred to-
t as to the extent TO which the reve
: nue. of his government suffered
through the frauds or incompetency
of officials was, "that he doubted
whether the losses experienced from
, such causes during the previous ten
years, had been equal in the aggre-
Igate to the sum of fifty francs per
annum-" Now this same high trib-
ute of praise might talso, is believed,
be awarded to the officers of the
regular army and navy OF the United
States, as a class, in respect to their
financial transactions with the Gov
ernment and, if the assumption be
true, then the remedy for the evils
referred to is most obviously to be
found in placing the officers who are
to manage the revenues on substan-
TALLY the same basis as regards Sc
Lection, education, tenure of office, and
promotion, as the officers of the
army and navy and this in a few
words, is the system which secures
efficiency and honesty in the civil
service of Europe. r
Regarding the apprehension that
the enactment Of civil service bill
would interfere with political patron
age, the Commissioner says that ''the
experience of Great Britain in this
matter does not confirm any such
anticipation. In that country, as
in the United States, the use of po-
litical patronage for the support of an
Administration, is considered as en-
tirely legitimate, and the distribu-
ton OF offices, required to fill vacan-
cies, is substantially placed at the
disposal of members of Parliament
belonging to the dominant party.
The method of procedure. however,
is as follows: The member OF Parlia-
ment applies, in the first instance, to
the Parliamentary Secretary of the
Treasury, who has the distribution
.of patronage, or to the political head
OF some department. If the official
in question is willing and able to ac-
cede to the members request, he
presents the applicant with what is
called a nomination" to one of the
offices in his gift. The person nom.
mated does not, however, as a mat
ter Of course, enter the public serv-
ice, for no interest, however power
full, can confirm an appointment un- |
less the nominee is able to obtain q
certificate of fitness from the Com
missioner of the Civil Service, ap-
pointed by the Crown. In order to |
obtain tbs certificate the applicant !
for Office is required, in the first in.
stance, to execute an affidavit respec-
ting his age, physical capacity, NOR
al character, and exemption from
debt. If this affidavit is approved,
he is next subjected to an examina-
tion, the satisfactory result of which
is followed by an appointment 10 Of
fice."
In another part of his report the
Commissioner says, "The expert
ence of every State in which the exis-
tence of a heavy debt. and the re,
quirements forsfafge expenditures,
necessitate the raising of large rev.
enues, is to the effect, that there is
no department in which it is more
essential than nation should be
wisely as well as honestly served, as
that in the Department of Finance
and that the violations of this de-
partment are moreover so closely
with every form Of the
Industry and capital of a country,
that good management on the part CT
the one is prerequisite on the part
the other" The Commissioners
submitted plan for Board of Com
missioners of the Revenue, which we
trust will receive attentive consider.
alton from Congress. The people
must, however, be thoroughly alive
on this subject, and impress on their
representatives the necessity of
prompt and thorough action, for the
matter is one of paramount import
ance. 1.H f.