Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-12-09

complaints made by immigrants of the treat
ment they receive, but will endeavor to do so
during tho session OF Congress, particularly II
the subject should receive your attention
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
II has been the aim of the Administration 10
enforce honesty and efficiency In all public
Offices. Every public servant who has yioat.
cd the trust placed in him has been proceeded
against with all the rigOr Of the law. II bad
men have secured places, ii has been the fault
OF the sy stem established by law and custom
FOR making appointments, or the fault of those
who recommend for government positions
persons not sufficiently well known to them
personally, or who give letters endorsing the
character OF office seekers, without proper
sense OF the grave responsibility which such
course dcvolvcs upon them. A civil service
reform which can correct this abuse is much
desired. In mercantile pursuits, the business
men who give letter OF recommendation to
u friend to enable him to obtain credit from
stranger, is regarded us muraly responsible
for the integrity oi his friend, and his ability
to meet his Obligations. a rciormatOry law
which would enforce this principle against all
endOrserS OF persons for public places would
ensure great caution in making recommends
tons. A saluary LESSON has been taught the
careless aud the dishonest servants in the
great number OF prosecutions and convictions
OF the last two years. 1t is gratifying to no
tice the favorable change which is taking
pluCe tnTOugHOut inc country III bringing 10
punishment those who have proved recreant
to the trusts confded to them and is elevating
to public Office none but those who possess the
confidence ot the honest and viriuOus, whO it
will always be found, comprise the majority
Of the community in which they live. In my
message TO Congress one year ago, urgently
reCommtuded reform in the Civil Service Of
the country. In conformity with that recon-
mendation, Congress, in the ninth section of
an act making an appropriation for sundry
civil expenses OF the Government, and for
other purposes, approved March the 3rd 1871,
gave the necessary authority to the Executive
to inaugurate a civil service reform, aud plae
ed upon him the responsibility OF doing so.
Under authority Of said act, | convened
Board OF gentlemen eminenty qualified for
the work, 10 devise rules and regulations to
effect the needed reform. Their labUrs are
u0t yet completed, but it is believed that they
will succeed in deyising plan which can be
adopted, 10 the great relief of the Executive,
| the heads of departments and members OF
Congress, and which will rebound to the true
interest of the public service. AT all events,
the experiment shall have fair trial.
| CONCLUSION.
! l have thus hastily summed up the opera
| lions of the Government during the last year.
and made such suggestions as occur to me to
| be proper Tor your consideration. l submit
them with a confidence that your combined
| action will be wise, statesmanike, and in the
best interest of the whole country.
(Signed) U. s. GRANT,
| President
Executive Mansion, Dec. 4th, 1871.
B-Salt Lake City contains Episcopal,
Presbyterian, Methodist and Catholic church
organizations.
rB- During the past year, 1000 Bibles l0,-
600 New Testaments, and $4,000 copies of the
Gospels have been distributed in Spain.
c55- The New York Methodist Missionary
Committee haYe resolved 10 erect monu-
ment over the grave of Bishop Kingsley, at
Beirut, Syria
GST One hundred and ninety members were
reported in the Methodist mission in China in
1870 The increase nearly one hundred per
cent. annually. Fifteen hundred children are
under the care Of the missionaries.