New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-19
THE BRITISH INDIA SERVICE



NATURE or IHE EXAMINATIONS.
IFRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuNr.l
WASHINGTON, July 12.-Before 1854 the system
of appointment and promotion in the British East
Indian Civil Service was almost identical with that
which has worked so satisfactorily in this country,
when applied 10 the Military and Naval branches of
Our own Government Young men entered the ser
VICE by appointment. secured by political influence.
and after spending two years in preparatory study
at Haileybury College, the West Point or Annapolis
of the East Indian Service and passing satisfactory
examinations they were assigned TO junior stations
with an assurance Of permanency in public employ
meui and promotion for merit and seniority in their
respective grades The objection to this system was
that it closed the door for entrance into the Civil
Service Of India 90 all except the few who couid
command political influence. and the Civil Service
Reformers of England believed that while the social
standing Of Indian Officers who gained their APP
pointments through omen competitive examinations
wonld not he 20 high as that Of those selected IN the
old way. the Government OF India would, nv ihe
change they proposed attract to the scryicea class
of Young men who would be greatly superior, moral
~, intellectually and physically
Accordingly in 1853 il was enacted nv Parlla-
ment that 'an powers rights, privileges of the
Court of Directors Of the said tIndial Company TO
nominate or appoint persons to he admitted as stu
dents in Haeybury College should cease. ana that,
subject 70 spch regulations az might he made, any
person being n natural born citizen of Her Majesty
who might he DESTROYS of presenting himself shculd
be examined rs n candidate In the following year
committee was appointed for the purpose ot carry
inc out the provisions Of this Act, whose Chairman,
Mr. (afterward Lord Macaulay. prepared report.
which has ever since been received by the Civil
Service Rcfcrmcrs of England as the highest
authority on This subject Mr.. Macaulay had assoc
oiateA with HIM upon the committee Lord hshbnr-
ton. Dr. MclvN the Principal of Haileyhnry Col
lece: the Rev. b. Jowctt. the present Master OF
Balliol College; and Mr.. now Sir john Shaw
Lefcvre.
The rules established by this Committee. with GER
tain notifications suggested by subsequent expert
cpce have now been in force for wentythrec years;
but II has recently been suggested 70 chanCe IN
some very important particulars the regu'anonS &c
yised by Nh Nacaulay's Committee. and very in
tercsing discussion OF the subject has arisen, parc-
mated in not only by those directly interested IN
and responsible for the Government of India hut by
the Faculties of the Universities at Cambridge and
Oxford and bv other public men. lIaileybury Col
lege il NAV be remembered, was long ago suspended,
and two years Of special study in London and else
where in England. followed by rigid examinations,
to determine the proficiency of the prcbationcr in
the special branches TO which he is required TO de-
vote his attention. have been substituted.
feet three years ago. that the Marquis of Salisbury
Secretary of state - the Government Of India pre-
pared letter. copies of which were sent to the
Sceretarv Of the Civil Service Commission. and to
the Governors Of Madras aud Bombay, requesting
them 20 make specal reports mon subjects named IN
his dispatch The replies 10 thi, letter with numerous
Enclosures giving much valuable information noon
the general subjects of the Civil Service i'm Iudiahave
recently been published in Parliamentary docu-
mept.
Tho first Question dealt with-that of the age AZ
which candidates t. the competitive examinations
should bc admiitcd-is ono of comparatively little
interest to American readers. The m1Ximum age
for admission is now twcnty-one years, and the
minimum limit seventeen years. The weight of
testimony adduccd by the Civil Service Commission
aud also by The Government of India is adverse to
an change in this respect.
Much space is devoted by the Civil Service Com
mi,sioner,. in their report to discussion of the
subjects in which candidates admitted 20 COM
pctiion for the Civil Service Of India should be
amined. and rs the connective system has uon-
nav been introduced into one Of our own EXeru-
tive departments the experience Of our British
cousins may contain Some suggestions that viii be
valuable 10 ne. Macsulay in his report of 1881,
expressed ihc opinion that the examination should
not extend to branches of knowledge which, though
useful to a Civil Servant in India, are useless. or
almost useless 10 a person whose life is to be passed
in Europe" but should be confined 10 those
branches cf knowledge to which it is desirable that
English gentlemen who mean 10 remain at home
sbouid nav some attcntios" His reason for this
opinion was 2 belief that ii was important on the
one hand that no candidate whOmight fail shorld.
10 whatever calling he might betake himself. have
reason to regret the time aud labor which lac had
spent in preparing himself to be examined" while
M the same time II was more important to tle
interest of the Service that in every case an eX-
cellent general education, such a. might enlarge
and strengthen the understanding Of the Civil Ser
want should precede The special education which
must qualify him to dispatch the business of his
cufcherv in other words the real object Of Civil
Service examination should be, no; 10 ascertain the
technical knowledge which the candidate may pos
sess. but whether his general education has been OF
such a character as to give promise of rapid growth
in the particular sphere in which he may subse-
quently be placed.
Starting with this principle Macaulays Commit
tee named subjects proper for the purpose they
had in view English. the two classical languages.
Latin and Greek the three most important modern
languages. French, German and Italian mathemat-
les uure and mixed the natural sciences. the moral
sciences. and the two classical languages Of India
Sanscrit and Arabic. OF course applicant is re-
ouirl TO pass an examination on all or most of these
subects and indeed the policy of the English Civil
Service Commission j. to require thorough
tpovledce of few Of them as the and opportun-
flies Of The candidate make possible, rather than
snatioring OF all of them. On this point Dir. Ma
caulay said. 1--WE are of opinion that candidate
ouObt 70 be allowed no credit at all for taking NJ
subject in which he a mere smattcrer.O