New-York tribune., 1869-01-18
THE CIVIL SERVICE BILL.
ADDRESS BY ITS AUTHOR on IT'S PRO-
VISIONS AND PURPOSE.

The Hon. Thomas IA Jenckes of Rhode Island de-
hvered lecture on Saturday evening, explanatory oe
the Civil Service bill which he brought before Con-
gress last year. and which is still pending there Tho
lecture was delivered the invitation Of the AmeTi-
can Social Science Association in the Chapel Of tho
University building. Among the distinguished
gentlemen present were A. A. Low, James Blown,
Howard Potter, Judge Chas. p. Kirkland, John JAY,
Prof Theodore w. Dwight. Prof Francis Lieber, s Is.
Chttenden, Postmaster Kelly, G. +. Detmold and
many others. The meeting was called to order by
Mr. Henry Willard of Boston, the Secretary of the
Social Science Association. Mr.. Jenckes on being
introduced to the audience by the Chairman Prof.
| Dwight spoke as follows
The OF which shall attempt to give you some
explanation is not Of temporary partisan character.
II is not I'm its origin one Of the circumstances OF the
ent Administration. was subject thought with
myself long before the present Administration came into
power and the draft Of the original bill prepared
during the Administration Of President Lincoln, and had
reference to tie politics Of the hour to the present
day. TO any then or now engaged III the admin
sTaon Of the Government Itit has any merit, gentle
1t lies behind the politics OF the day. and nc to DO
introduced into the Governmental machinery Of this
great republic but has no merit 1t should be rejected
IL claims either that high recommendation, or elso
neglect, than that The civil service OF this
Government, perhaps, in its growth, illustrates tho
growth Of the republic better than even its territorial
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. In the commencement Of the Govern
nent the United States had civil service They sue
ceeded to the States which to the colonies
On the adoption OF the Constitution and the election tho
first President and VicePresdent of the United States,
there but two beside the Congress who were
in the civil service of the Government OF the United States.
Down that time. all the functions of the Government
after the close OF the Revolutionary Warhad been
carried out by the States The frat Origin Of the civil
service of this Government creation of De.
partmen Of state followed by the creation of Treasury
Department, and Of Secretary Of War, and some time
after that by Secretary Of the Navy. and at later
period by the creation OF other Departments until now
are several We have authentic record OF how
many persons employed in the civil service Of tho
Government prior the year 1902 under Jefersons ADJ
mnstraton when he at the call Of the House Of Repre-
sentaves presented to Congress list Of the persons
employed in that service. The whole list filed pampi'
let Of no pages 1t divided into the Departments of
the service then cxtngthe customs which called
the external revenuethe military, and tho naval SER
yices At that time there in the customs service OF
United States but 7l3 800 less than there
are now employedin the NewYor1 Custom House alonei
and the other departments in comparison with their
present growth. equally Insignificant. You may
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS all political history is full Of 1.-THE
great commoton that existed In the country upon tho
advent Of President Jefferson to the Administration oi
United States 1t supposed that he intended td
turn out all the officers then holding commissions and ia
make a civic revolution far regarded the civil
servants OF the Government Yet his power extended
only TO what was then called the external and
only effected the commissions. Ali that has gone into
our political literature concerning what he did, and what
| he might have done, originated from his power
over these in the public service. AS he honestly
says and will read his words, because in considering
this subject is well begin at the root OF things and he
eomprehended the difficulty and tho danger which now
the face. On the oath OF March, 5000 days
after his nauguraonhe says speaking OF the obstaclea
which might check advance of 1.-THE people under his
f.lfnr-h ha
removal which though will be only Of those persons
which predecessors ought to remove some will never
theess be ready TO ascrbe the removal to party prin
0pes' Then after describing the class OF persons hd
says OF the thousands of officers the United states.
very few ndly1uals-in all probability not @-will bs
removed those only Tor doing what they should not
have done" ask attention, continued the honorable
speaker to words know that in stopping thug
short In the Of removal shall give great oense
10 many my friends That torrent ihad been pressing
ne heavily and will require all my force TO bear up
against it, but myimaxim Is Fiat justtid rr cGlam" He
closes by saying and ask your attention to these words,
because they were the fundamental law upon this SUBJ
ject for years in this Government The only questions
concerning candidates shall be sis he faithful 10 tho
Constitution" In the whole course Of bis adminstra-
ton President Jefferson removed but 80 persons and no
himself repeatedly. declared that not one OF them
was removed because he belonged 20 n party other
| than his THE number oitpersons In the civil
service was less than 5000 they exceed 5oo00
These gentlemen are the small beginnings Of the Civil
Service of this Government and these the principles
upon which irst President acted IL may be safely
sadndeed Is proved TO be Iuetha for the 30 years
after these declarations Of President Jefferson there was
no departure from these principles The tenure OF Office
In all branches Of the Civ Service practically for
ifo or during good behavior. have read to how
many President jefferson removed for these His
| successors were more moderate than he Mr.. Madison
made but Ave removals Mr. Monroe nine Mr. John Qun-
cy Adams ten These the class Of officers designated
IN the Constitution requiring the confirmation OF the
Senate None OF these within the scope Of the
ure which proposed and advocated. OF tho class
within the scope of that measure II IL difficult TO find tho
record OF any removal during any Of the Presidential
terms. They selected with great care and caution
ana found fit for performing the duties Of their
offices. they retained in them for life. And let w
consider why they in their offices during life ask
your attention TO this because ID Of importance in
sderiug objections to this law. When our Consttu
ton framed the members Of the Convention who
framed 10 looked around all the political systems in tho
world then known TO them intending and desiring TO
tract from them all that best for the nvigora,on oi
the Republic which they were establishing. We drew
laws from Epgand all the forms OF our Colonial Gov
ernments we're created by the Government OF England
Our fathers had but little knowledge except that which
might be acquired from books OF the political systems
\ of other countries cotemporaneous with them,
or antecedent them but the debates in the ConsIu
tional Convention that they endeayorcd TO obtain
all the knowledge they could concerning all the political
systems in the world, and all antecedent 10 thai
date For the men who sat in that Convention in Pha
delphia understood their work. They meant lay the
foundation wide and solid that the superructure might
grow IN the growth OF the generations u it should
overshadow the Continent. Applause.l What 1t would
be- they knew not; what might be was in their imas