Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-28
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
Provisions OF the PendletOn Bill ~ II
Passed the Senate Yesterday.

The Pendleton civil service bill, which passed
the Senate yesterday, sets out in the preamble
that all citizens duly qualified should, as far as
practicable. be allowed equal opportunities for
securing appointment, employment and promo
tionin the subordinate civil service of the United
States, and, the government should have the
largest choice among those likely to answer the
requirements of the public service. This end is
to be attained by open and uniform competitive
examinations.
The bill authorizes the President to appoint,
with the advice and consent of the Senate, three
commissioners, to constitute civil service COM
mission, not more than two of whom shall be of
the same political party, and they must hold no
other official place under the government. Each
shall receive salary of s., 500 year and neces-
sary travelling expenses.
1t shall be the duty of the commission. first
to aid the President in preparing suitable rules
for carrying this act into effect and when said
rules shall have been promulgated it shall be
the DUTY OF all officers Of the United Statesin the
departments and offices to which any such rules
may relate to aid in all proper ways in CARRYING
said rules and any notifications thereof into eff
feet; second and among other things said rules
shall provide and declare. as nearly as the con-
ditiOns Of good administration will warrant. as
for testing the fitness of applicants for the pub
lie service now classified or to be classified here
under. Such examinations shall be practical
IN their character. and SO far as may be- shall re-
late to those matters which will fairly test the
relative capacity and fitness of the persons ex-
amined to discharge the duties of that service
into which they seek to be appointed
CD That all the offices, places and employ
ments SO arranged or to be arranged in classes
shall be filled by selections according to grade
AMONG those cd a In *
OF such competitive examinations. 81 Ap-
p0lntments to the public service aforesaid i'm the
departments at Washington shall be apportioned
among the several states and territories and the
District OF Columbia upon the basis of popula-
ton as ascertained at the last preceding CEN
sus. Every application for an examination shall
contain. among other things statement under
oath setting forth his or her actual bona fde
residence at the time of making the application,
as well as how long he OF she has been a resident
OF said place. g. That there shall be period
OF probation before any absolute appointment
or employment aforesaid. 60 That promo
tons shall be from the lower grades to the
higher on the basis of merit and COMPETE
lie service 1hst HS }ea in the pub
any obligation to contribute to any DO
litical fund or to render any political service,
and that he will not be removed or otherwise
preudiced for refusing to do 50. CO That no
person IN said service has any right to use his
lltical action Of any person or body. o. There
shall be nOn-cOmpetitive examinations in all
proper cases before the commission. When
competent persons do not compete after notice
has been given OF the existence of the vacancy
under such rules as may be prescribed by the
commissioners as to the manner of giving no
tlce, competition may not be found practicable
o. That notice shall be given in writing by the
appointing power to said commission Of the per-
sons selected for appointment or employment
NM hoe ,k0
the place OF residence of such persons. of the
rejection of any such persons after probation. of
transfers. designations and removals and of the
date thereof, and record Of the same shall be
Kept by said commission; and any necessary ex-
ceptlOns from said nine fundamental provisions
OF the rules shall be set forth in connection with
SUCH rules and the reasons therefor shall be
stated in the annual reports of the commission.
Inc commission is required to make an an
nual report to the President for transmission to
Congress 1t is authorized to appoint chief
examiner, who shall be paid $50 year and
his necessary travelling expenses. Tie Presi-
dent is to appoint secretary. whose salary is
to be $1,000. and the commission may employ a
stenographer. who is to be paid while actually
engaged at the rate of 81 600 a wear. and mes
senger, who is to be paid at the rate of 5000
year.
The commission is required to ST at Wash
lngtOn, and in one or more places in each state
and territory where examinations are to be held
OF the United States in the states where exami-
nations are held are to be designated as exam
lining boards, and they are to hold their sittings
at places convenient and inexpensive for appli-
cants to attend before them and public buildings
are to be used for holding these examinations
The Secretary OF the Interior is required to pro-
VIDE convenient rooms in Washington for the
use OF the commission.
1t Is provided that any commissioner, ex-
ahliher. copylst or messenger, or any person in
the pubic service, who shall willfuy and cor
ruptly defeat, deceive or obstruct any person in
respect of his or her right of examination. or
VINO shall willfully, corruptly and falsely mark,
grade, estimate or report upon the examination
or proper standing of any person examined
hereunder, or aid in so doing, or who shall will
Iuily and corruptly make any false representa-
lions concerning the same or concerning the
person examined, or who shall willfully and
corruptly furnish to any person any special or
secret information for the purpose of either i'm
proving or injuring the prospects or chances of
any person so examined. or to be examined
snail De deemed guilty of a misdemeanOr and
upon convection thereof shall be punished by a
fine OF not less than 800 nor more than 81 600
or 10y Imprisonment not less than ten DAYS nor
more than one year, or by both such fine and
imprisonment.
Within sixty days after the passage of the act
the Secretary of the Treasury is required to
arrange all the clerks and other employees in the
customs service into classes and the POstmas-
ter General is required to arrange the persons
employed in the postal service in classes. under
the provisions of existing statutes and after six
months from the passage of the act no person
shall be admitted to any of these classes or be
promoted from one class to another until he has
passed an examination, or is specially exempted
therefrom under the provisions of the act But
persons honorably discharged from the military
and naval service are not to be deprived OF the
preference accorded them under the existing
law No officer nominated by tie President
shall be required to pass an examination
No recommendation of any person who shall
apply for office or place under the provisions of
the act which may be given by any Senator or
member of the House Of Representatives. ex-
cept as to the character or residence Of the ap-
plicant, shall be received or considered by any
person concerned in making examination or ap-
pointment under this act No person habitualiy
addicted to intoxicating drinks is eligible to an
pOintment.
The provisions relating to political assess
ments have been heretofore published. No
Senator or Representative in Congress. or any
officer or employe of the two Houses, or any
person connected with the executive or judicial
departments, or with any branch of the civil.
military. or naval service is permitted to solicit
or receive money for political purposes ON any
other person employed in the public service, and
iG cd 70