National Republican., 1885-12-14


Tie following contributions to the history
Of civil service reform appears in the notes
and queries of the New Yorl, journal OF
Commerce, the information being obtained
at this end Of the line by NAL f. b. Kirby:
NEW YonK, Nov 12 1ss5.-Editor Of the
journal OF Commerce: You VIII confer favor
on the undersigned by mining the representa-
tive IN Congress who first perceived the II sees
sity of reforming the civil service, and II the
same gentleman is tho father of the civil SER
wee law az now in operation remain, very
respectively yours, w. Il.
Keply.-At the special session of the Senate,
Congress, on Friday, March I, 1851, senator Il.
NJ. 4. Hunter, OF Virginia, submitted the fol-
lowing resolution, which was considered by
unanimous consent and agreed TO:
"Resolvcd, That the Secretaries of State, of the
Treasury, of the Interior, Of War, of the Navy,
and the Postmaster General he directed TO re.
port to the Senate at the next session OF Con-
gress some plan for classifying the clerks In
those departments, for nppoEiOning their sala-
ricB according to their services, and for equal
izing the salaries Of clerks OF the same grade in
each of the departments; and also somo plan
to provide for a fair and impartial exNmina-
tion of the qualifications of clerks. and for pro.
noting them from one grade to another, upon
due regard to qualification and services"
The Washington correspondent Of the
was referred, wrote to Mr.. Hunter, now
collector Of customs at Tappahannock, Va,
asking him II II was correct to assume that
he wns the father of civil service reform In
the United States. Mr.. Hunter replied az
follows.
LIoYns EssEx COUNTY, Va, Nov. %, 1885,
I received your card, and although at my ago
cannot expect to live long, l hope wc shull
have chance TO improve our acquaintance.
You ask II You nre correct" do not know
whether You are correct or not, but / have
tanty on t6e sn5iect but sqS Inlrodnnca M Gg tbc
measure classifying the clerks, and also intro.
duced, think, the enactment requiring their
examination. ! was anxious / know to pre-
vent the superior from removing the Inferior
except for want OF efficiency. 1 now think
this power necessary for efficiency and fidelity
in the discharge OF duty by the inferior. 1 did
against removal for anything but u want OF
fidelity and efficiency In the office. To coun-
tenance removal FROM the office itself for gen
think would be, mischioyous, and believe
did something to get up such u public senti-
ment. Very respectfully, II. NJ. T. HUNTER
Feb. 2S, 1858, Senator Hunter offered an
amendment to the bill making approprla-
tions for the civil aud diplomatic expenses
OF the government, classifying the clerks in
the departments into four grades, and pro-
viding that no clerk should thereafter be
admitted to either OF the four grades until
he had passed satisfactory examination
before three persons, one OF whom should
be the chief OF the division to which he was
appointed, and the two Others to be selected
by. the head OF the department.
In presenting this amendment Mr.. Hunter
said that 1t had been unanimously adopted
| by the committee on finance (then COM
| posed Of Senators Hunter, Of Virginia;
Bright, OF Indiana; Gwin, of California;
Pearcc, of Maryland, and Miller, OF New
Jersey, and that II had been based upon
the reports Of the heads Of departments
called for by his resolution Of March Z, 1851.
In his speech in support Of the resolution
Mr.. Hunter said:
believe we shall thus lay the foundations
| OF what is essential to the safe administration
| of this governmental mean n civil corps who
| shall have the experience, the efficiency, and
the ability TO enable the heads of the depart
| ments to administer their respective deDart.
ments safely and efficiently.
The Senate adopted the an endment-
yeas "a, nays not counted. 1t was agreed
to by the House, and became a law as sec.
tion of the act Of March 3, 1853. The pro
visions of this law are found In sections 1853
164, 1G6, and l67 of the Revised Statutes.
The law was administered with more OF
less regard to its spirit until 1861. During
and subsequent to the war It became obso
lete. March 12, 1866, In the thirty-nintl
Congress, upon motion OF Mr.. Jenohes, oi
Rhode Island, select committee Of seven
on civil service was appointed, composed OF
Messrs. Jenckes, Shellabargcr, Hogan
Baker, Myers, Mckee, and james NJ. Hum
phrcy.
on July 81, 1866, upon motion of Mr..
Robert S. Hale, of New York, the House
resolved to appoint II joint select commit
tee on retrencnment, part Of whose duty
was to consider measures for q reform OF
the civil service. This committee was con.
tinued by the fortieth Congress by resolu
tion adopted in March, 1867.
Through the persistent efforts of Mr.
JeIckes, tho forty-iirst Congress, by the
act Of March 3, 1871, authorized the Presi
dent TO appoint board Of civil service com
missloners. Under this law President Gran
appointed ns commissioners Messrs. George
William Curtis, Alex. q. Cattell, Josepl
Medill, Dawson A. Walker, +. b. Elliott
Joseph IL. Blackfan, David G. Cox. Th,
forty-third Congress refused to appropriate
any money TO defray the expenses Of thii
commission, and 1t therefore ceased to per
form any service.
Tho author of the civil service law nov
in operation is Hon. George ii. Pendleton
at present minister TO Berlin. This law wa
passed Feb. 10, 1883, by the forty-seventl
Congress, which was Republican. 1t thu
appears that both parties are entitled b
equal credit for efforts to reform the civi
service, and that both arc equally responsi
BILE for the periods of decentralization whlcl
the civil service has undergone.