New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-03
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
GAIL HAMILTON's PAPERS.
WV

Ypaton floats softly down a stream OF unseltsh re-
CORN fill 1853. when two statesmen brought for
ward that system for civil appointments which, dis
.rding the theory of partisan selfshness and dicta
zion opened the public service of England to per-
.onal merit so that the of sailor the heir Of
.wasberwoman would stand on a level at its gates
tb the favorite of bishop the child of duke"
To anv person who is acquainted with English
traits this paragraph must look suspicious. / for
Que even before examining the matter, viewed that
vasherwOman's heir with the grayest incredulity
n is very easy paper to range him alongside the
auke's son but there is country earth in
which il would be harder to make him stand there,
in the flesh than England. Yet Mr.. Eaton says that
IL has been done. "These reformers have lived to
see their system crowned with great success"
let US look into it, Mr.. Eaton refers, of course.
IN his "Two Statesmen" to Sir Stafford Northcote
and Sir Charles Trevelyan, who, in November,
1853. addressed report to the House of Lords
that "the right of competing for appoint
ments in the Civil Service shOuld be open
10 all persons of a given age, subject only to
the necessity Of giving satisfactory references to
persons able to speak to their moral conduct and
character" In May, 1855, commission APP
pointed for examining young men for admission to
iunor situations in the civil establishments, and the
first examination took place June so, 1855
That Her Majesty needed i" to improve the system
Of admission aud thereby to increase the efficiency
Of Che service" is palpable from the revelations
made of its condition before the system of examlna
lions was instituted. Sir James Stephen who was
for thirtY-fve years connected with the Colonial
Department, said as reported by Mr.. Edward o.
Graves, that the majority of persons appointed in
that department possessed an incredibly low degree
OF requisite qualities and that the true of
other departments. Another officer said that of
eighty clerks supplied by patronage, not moro than
twelve were worth their salt. A retired civil of
fcer declared that some of the clerks assigned to
his Office were unable to read or write that one
eonld not number beyond ten and that in some
stances, upon a new appontee's presenting himself
he was at once given months leave of absence in
order that he might learn to write
An these persons were appointed by patronage.
Generally tho appOintees were friends or depend
ents of the appointing power. Such examina-
tiOns as were held were purely nominal. Ed
ward ROmily, secretary of the Board of Trade,
and one of the commissioners appointed by the
Order in Council but who resigned soon afterward,
said that he had been a member of board of ex-
aminers for twelve years, and that not one candi-
date had ever been rejected by the board But these
incompetents held their Office by secure ten
ure There was no way of getting them
out except by DensiOning them out. Once
in, the man was in for life. The depart
ments then, being filled with incOmpetents who
could not be got out again. the improvement of the
departments became vital question and the mode
Of admission became the especial point of Vitality
Examinations having been insufficient to keep out
incompetency, a new mode of examination was
ordered-an examination by boards who we're indie
pendent of the appointing power, and an examina-
ton upon the principle of competition, But
nothing be further from the truth than that Eng
land thus discarded partisan selshness and dicta-
ton" in her civil appointments, or that the patron
age was taken away from the great politicians" If
hesystem which Mr. Eaton now sees @ crowned
with great success was the system introduced IN
1858 by Sir Stafford Northcote and Sir Charles Ire
velyan, patronage was no more taken away
from the great politicians in England than it is
in America. So late 1867 twelve years after the
introduction Of competitive examination, the Guide
to the Civil Service with Directions for Candidates,
Prepared from Her Msjestys Record Office" warnsal
woud-be candidates that all appointments to
offices under Government are, with few exceptions,
IN the gi of the political and other heads of depart
luents for the time being From these and these only
all nominations mast directly indirectly be obtained
Many imagine that the Civil Service Is thrown
open to public competitions and the necessary prem-
mary of being nominated to Office mere official
form-the tug of war consisting entirely in the ex-
animation This is pure delusoD, and one which
has proved most notifying to those who enter
tanned that idea. The only difference that exists
between the system under the old regime of affairs
and that now established is simply this: that
whereas before the Minister nominated one candi-
date to each vacancy, who Immediately received
his appointment, he now dominates three or
four 70 every cleTkship, when a COMPETE
tive examination is instituted among the
nominees and he who passes best obtains the situa-
ton The same interest that was before required
placed on the list for nominations is now just as
requisite And unless this necessary object be OBJ
tanned no matter how great q mans abilities may
be- or how liberal the education he has received. 1t
Is perfect Impossibility for him to enter the public
service under the existing regulations. nomina-
ton thus being Indispensable the first step to be Dur
sued to w0rk y0uT interest to procure this prelim-
mary" This Guide to the Civil Service" then,
without the slightest regard TO the necessities OF
Mr. Eaton's theory thinking apparently Of nothing
but how he may help candidates who want office,
maps out the most important Offices, and by ohOm
their patronage Is exercised" For example: Treas
ury, Premier British Museum Archbishop OF Can
terbury, Lord Chancellor, and Speaker of the
House of Commons; offices in Scotland Lord
Advocate" and so On-showing that the Treas
ury has, as in this country, by far the greatest
amount Of patronage Interest with the Junior
Lords of the Treasury, Lords of the Admiralty,
Under-Seerctaries, and even Chef Clerks, are all
means whereby to attain an end. Influential MIS-
can obtain nominations for offices in the Revenue and
Customs. The manner of showing that
application has been fayorably received,
Is by an official letter stating that the
name has been placed on the list All other
replies, that a minister will make a note Of his
name etc; that he will bear it in mind, but at
present. etc.; that he is sorry to say no OppOrtu-
nifty at present offers, but at some future time,
ETC., should be taken for what they are wOrth-a