National Republican., 1882-12-28
THE GREAT REFORMER.
Full Text of the Civil Service Bill as Amended
and Passed by the Senate
Providing for Competitive Examinations
Of Applicants for CIerkships,
Prohibiting Political Assessments or Solicitation fol
Contributions
As Well as All Official Interference with
Appointments.

improve the civil service" more generally
known as the civil service reform bill, AS
amended and passed by the senate yesterday,
is as follows:
Whereas common justice requires that, so far as
practicable nll citizens duly qualified shall be al
lowed equal opportunities, on grounds OF personal
fitness, for securing appointment, employment,
and promotion in the subordinate civil service OF
the United States; aud
Whereas Justice to the public likewise requires
that the government shall have the largest choice
among those likely TO answer the requirements Of
the public service aud
whereas Justice as well as economy efficiency
and integrity i'll the public service, viii be pro-
noted by substituting open and uniform compel.
tive examinations for the examinations heretofore
held in pursuance of the statutes OF 1858 and 1850:
therefore,
s:Be enacted DC, That the president sauthorzel
to appoint, by aud with the consent OF the sena,C
three persons, not more than two of whom snail
be adherents of the same party, as civil service
commissioners, and said three commissioners
shall constitute the United States civil service
commission. Said commissioners shall hold no
other official place under the United states.
The president may remove any comm lssioner
and any vacancy in the position of commissioners
shall be so filled by the president, by and with
tue consent OF the senate, as to conform to said
conditions for the first selection Of commissioners
three thousand FIVE hundred dollars year, and
each of said commissioners shall be paid his nee
essary travelling expenses incurred in the dis
charge of his duty as commissioner.
SECTION I.
That it shall be the duty of said commission:
/. To aid the president, as he may request, in
pseparnS suitable rules & tor carrying this Sac act into
mulgated 1t shall be the duty of all officers of the
United States in the departments and offices 10
which any such rules may relate to aid in all
proper ways in carrying said rules and any modi-
tication thereof into effect.
II. And, among other things, said rules shall
provide and declare, as nearly as the conditions
OF good administration will warrant, as follows:
/. For open, competitive examinations for test
ing the fitness of applicants for the public service
now classified or to be classified hereunder; such
examinations shall be practical i'll their character,
and so far as may be shall relate 10 those matters
which will fairly test the relative capacity and fit
ness OF the persons examined to discharge the du-
ties OF that service into which they seek TO be ap
pointed.
@ That all the offices, places, and employments
so arranged or to be arranged, in classes shall be
filled by selections according 10 grade from among
those graded highest as the results of such com.
petitive examinations.
g. Appointments to the public service aforesaid
in the departments at Washington shall be appor.
toned among the several states and territories
and the District of Columbia upon the basis of
population as ascertained at the last preceding
census.
Every application for an examination shall con.
tain, among other things a statement under oath,
setting forth his or her actual bona tde residence
at the time of making the application, well as
how long he or she has been u resident of said
place.
4. That there shall be period of probation be.
fore any absolute appointment or employment
Aforesaid.
s. That promotions shall be from the lower
grades to the higher on the basis of merit and
competition.
g. That no person in the public service is for
that reason under any obligation to contribute TO
any political fund, or to render any political SER
vice; and that he will not be removed or other
wise proudiced for refusing to do so.
T. That no person in said vice has any right
to use his official authority influence to ooerce
the political action OF any person or body
g. There shall be non competitive examinations
in all 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 COM
missioners as to the manner of giving notice, com
petition may not be found practicable.
0. That notice shall be given in writing by the
appointing power to said commission ofthe per-
sons selected for appointment employment
from among those who have been examined of
the place of residence of such persons, OF the
lection 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 exceptions from said nine
fundamental provisions of the rules shall be set
forth in connection with such rules, and the rea-
therefor shall be stated in the annual reports
of the commission.
III. Said commission shall, subject to the rules
that may be made by the president make regu-
latious for and have control of such examination,
and, through its members or the examiners it
shall supervise and preserve the records of the
same, and said commission shall keep minutes of
its own proceedings,
". said commission may make Investigations
concerning the facts, and may report upon all
laatters touching the enforcement and effects of
said rules and regulations and concerning the ac.
tion of any examiner or board of examiners here
matter provided for and its own subordinates and
those In the public service in respect to the exc
cution of this act.
V. Said commission shall make an annual re-
port to the president for transmission to congress,
showing its own action, the rules and regulations
and the exceptions thereto in force the practical
effects thereof and any suggestions it may ap-
prove for the more etectual accomplishment OF
IA
SECTION II.
That said commission is authorized to employ
chief examiner, part of whose duty 1t shall be.
under its direction, to act with the examining
boards SO far as practicable, whether at Washing
ton or elsewhere, and to secure accuracy, uni
formity and justice in all their proceedings
which shall be at all times open to him, The
chief examiner shall be entitled TO receive sal.
ary at the rate OF year. and he shall be paid
his necessary travelling expenses incurred in the
discharge of his duty.
The commission shall have q secretary, to be
salary OF si,6OO per annum. It may when neces,
sary, employ u ktenographer and messenger,
who shall be paid, when employed, the former at
the rate of u 800 year, the latter at the rate OF
$500 a year. The commission shall, at Washing
ton and in one or more places in each state and
territory where examinations are to take place,
| designate and select suitable number Of peraons
not less Than three, in the official seryice of the
United States, residing in said STATE territory
after consulting the head of the depart
| serve, to be members of boards of ex-
aminers, and may at any time substitute any other
person in said service living In such territory in
the place of any one so selected. such boards OF
examiners shall be so located to make 1t reason
| ably convenient and inexpensive for applicants
| to attend before themi and where there are per-
sons to be examined in any state or territory eX-
aminations shall be held therein at least twice IN
each year. 1t shall be the duty of the collector
postmaster and other officers of the United States
| at any place outside the District of Columbia
| where examinations are directed by the President
| or by said board TO be held, to allow the reason
able use of the public buildings for holding such
examinations, and in all proper ways to facilitate
| the same.
| SECTION III.
That IL shall be the duty of the secretary of thu
| interior to cause suitable and convenient room,
and accommodations TO bo assigned or provided
| and To be furnished, heated, and lighted, at th
| city of WashinatOn, for carrying ON the work OF
| said commission aud said examinations, and u
cause the necessary stationery aud other articles
| done for said commission.
SECTION w.
That any said commissioner, examiner, copy
ist, or messenger, or any person in the public ser
vice who shall wiliully aud corruptly, by himsel
| or in cooperation with one or more other pee
sons, defeat, deceive or Distract any person II
respect Of his or her right of examination accord
ing to any such rules or regulations, or who shal
wilfully, corTuptly, and falsely mark grade esti
mate, or report upon the examination or prope
standing OF any person examined hereunder, O
aid in so doing, or who shall wilinlly aud cor
| Tuptly make any false representations concerning
Who shall wllnlly and corrnptly furnish to an,
speTson any special or secret information for tn
purpose of improving or injuring the prospects o
chances Of any person so examined, or TO be eN
! snail for each such Ohense be deemed guilty of
misdomeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, sha
| be punished by fine Of not hess than 500 no
more than 81 900, or by imprisonment not less tha
ten days, nor more than one year, or by both suCl