New-York tribune., 1878-07-13
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
GAIL HAMILTON CONTINUES THE EXER-
CISES.

CONTEMPORARIES.
Mr.. Burke had not the family prestige OF Mr. Pitt,
vet "his share of the spoil of Office" says his
biographer, with a cold-blOOded disregard Of the
ueum and hum of reform pbraseology that must
give Mr. DOrman B. Eaton chill his share Of the
spoil of Office was seat in the Privy Council and
the Paymaster- GeneTalship of the forces, then ne
most lucrative Office IN he State" His son Richard
was appointed jointrecever of the revenues of the
Crown lands, for life, and Auditor Of Accounts to
Earl FItzwilliam, and afterward Deputy-Paymas-
ter and his brother was made one of the
Secretaries TO the Treasury, and afterward
Recorder of Bristol. Later IN life, pension was
awarded Edmund Burke, for his own life and that
of Mrs. Burke Of $4,000 per annum and after
ward another of $12, 500: all Of which Burke ac-
cepted with gratitude; he even suggested that his
pension should be antedated on the Civil List, IN
ORDER to enable him to pay his debts-which must
remind us of Mr.. Eatons saary-grabbers In the
very act of grabbing their back pay. just before
Mr.. Burke went out of Office he applied to Horace
Walpole to induce his brother to Telinqush the
clerkship of the Pells with its snecure salary OF
$4,000 year for life, that it might be bestowed on
Bukes son Richard. His first hope after he came into
Office was that something might be done for Will
lamD his cousin and the friend of his early bOyhood
So far from dscOuntenancng patronage the India
Bill for which Mr.. Burke chiefly responsible,
elutched at mass of patronage for himself and his
friends scarcely inferior to that of the Treasury IL
self One authority places it as high as $1,5OOOOO
ayear and another still 100000 year. Pitt
pronounced it the " bOldest and most uncOnstitu-
tiOnal measure ever attempted transferring at one
stroke in spite of all charters and compacts, the i'm
mense patronage and influence of the East to Charles
Fox (Burke's chief, In or out of office"
An this involves no insincerity or inconsistency
on the part of the great politician. Not only were
his plans vast and wise, but his own practice was
unexceptiOnable. Mr.. Burke in Office carried honor
ably into effect so far as possible, the measures
which he had advocated in opposition. His own Of
fee which he could control without waiting for leg
islation was the first to feel the pruning-knife
Sums of money, which had been the undsturbed
perdusites of previous paymasters he made over to
the Government, and thus saved to the public some
S235 900, of which $126,500 had accrued to the
paymaster. But this very fact shows how urgent
was the need of reform. When Lord
North alone, as chief of the Treasury, cost
the public $4,000 q year for stationery, and
$1,7OO a year for pack-thread official abuse
was no idle calumny Economical Reform was no
idle theory. When twenty-four counties sent up
petitions and the Speakers table was buried under
immense rolls of parchment it time for Parlia-
ment to act. Enormous extravaganza had aroused
a tax-burdened people, and Burke's Economical Re
form had been a response to their real, urgent and
Just demand. But when Burke had cut
off the remorseless and greedy gains OF
his predecessor, we must not forget that
there was still left him the very handsome salary
of $2O00Oa year. But Burke had always main
tanned that great services should be greatly paid
that they should be paid not only by rank and
emoluments to the men who bad rendered them, but
to their children also. He argued that snecures
should be retained for this express purpose in spite
of petitions that all sinecures should be abolished,
and in his bill he distinctly provided for the reten-
tion of places held by the WapOles and other mem
bers of other families who had rendered distln-
guished service to the State. The reform initiated
by Mr. Burke had not one element in common with
the reform talked about by Mr., Eaton.
He fares no better when he attempts to marshal
William Pitt into line I have spoken already of
the gracious readiness with which Mr. Pitt accepted
the "rlch perqusites which vicious civil service
system attached TO Office" In the divorce of poll
ties from ofice-hOldng, Mr. Pitt makes no better
showing for Mr.. Eatons argument. Where turks
that "dsinterested statesmanship" which he sings
where appears anything but such attempts to gam
partisan strength by the prostitution of official au
thortyr as he deplOres in such simple facts as that
"when gentlemen in Office were found Obdurate, the
Government informed them that there was no fur
ther occasion for their services ~ Yet this is made
as calmly as any other political statement,
reformer, Mr. Pitt. Nay. Mr. Pitt says in so many
yyords-castIng high sentiment" to the winds and
speaking after the manner of a machine politician
of the straitest sect, il very desirable, if
Government is strong enough TO do it without too
much immediate hazard, to mark by dismissal the
sense entertained of the conduct of those persons
in Office who opposed. In particular it strikes me
as essential not to make an exception to this line
in the instance of the Speakers son With respect
to persons Of less note those who have been only
neutral more leuity may perhaps be advisable. On
the precise extent of the line however, your Lord
ship can at once Judge on the spot" There was no
pretence of malfeasence in Office for this dismissal.
It was simply that his subordInates had disagreed
on political questions with their chief.
And just as the narrow and the envious, and the
malignant to-day attack with SANDER those whom
they cannot foil with argument, so were Burke and
Pitt hackled aud hindered in their day.
Among the "innumerable Offences" of which,
says Mr.. Burke's bographer, Mr. Burke
was accused by that party animosity which
"ever cngs to a great English statesman,
as if it were a condition of his existence" that
of being a Papist And when Mr.. Burke, admit
ting that his wfe's father and some of his family
connections were Roman Catholics disavOwed that
faith for himself and his wife, whose mother was
rigid Presbyterian and had reared her that faith,
and for bis family. and pointed to his conduct at
Trinity College and his subsequent life in proof of
his TRUTH the enemy only changed ground little
and condemned him for being false to the faith of
his wife For his attitude against Hastings he
pronounced by member of Parliament, " that rep
tile Mr. Burke" When he bought his house his
political opponents, simply because they did not
know where he got the money 10 pay for it,
promptly attackedhis personal integrity and charged