The Portland daily press., 1888-03-31
the NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Changes In Civil Service Regulations
Recommended by the President.
Uniformity OF classification the PrIn-
cIpaI Thing Desired.
Vacancies In the Management Of
the Smithsonian institution.

WASHfNGTON, maich ~ Ano ioSiuchs
has sent a letter to the Civil Service Commis
sion recommending the extension of the lin
its of the classified service. He calls special
attention to Subdivision c OF General Rule
III. of the civil service rules, promulgated
Feb. Q, 1883. 1t provides for the promotion
of an employe In department who Is below
or outside of the classified service to place
within said classified service in the same de-
partment upon the request Of the appointing
officer. and upon tho recommendation of the
commission and approval of the President,
after non-competitive examination, in case
such person has served continuously two
years in the place from which it Is proposed
to promote him, and because OF his faithful
ness and efficiency in the position oecspied
by him, and because of his qualification for
the place to which the appointing officer
desires his promotion"
The Presiden. thinks that IBIS provision
must be executed with Caution 10 avoid its
application to cases not intcEded and undue
relaxation of the general purposes and restrlc
tions of the civil service law. He says the
sole purpose of the provision is TO beneht the
public service, and it should never be permit
ted to operate as an evasion of the main sfea-
lures Of the law, which Is competitive exam
ination. As these cases will first be present
ed to the Commission for recommendation,
he requests that the Commission will formu-
late plan by which their merits can be
tested; He says that this and other dliiicul,,
ties which now embarrass the execution OF
the civil service law would be obviated II
there was better and uniform classification
of the employees in the different departments.
He reviews the present imperfect classlhca-
tion, Hastily made, apparently with but ut ut
tie care for uniformity, and promulgated after
the last Presidential election, and prior to
the installation of the present adminlstra-
tion," and says they should not have been
permitted to continue until this time. He
requests the Commission to revise the classl-
fcation and submit to him plan which VIII,
as far as possible, make them uniform, and
which will especially remedy the present
condition, which permits persons to
enter grade in the service in one depart
ment without any examination, which, IN
another department, can only be entered
after passing such examination:
One of the Commissioners said today tnat
the views Of the Commission are In full ac-
cord with those of the President and the
Commission would advise uniform classitica-
cation which shall include and bring within
the jurisdiction of the Commission every
person in the departmental service. OF the
government except such as are appointed by
the President, with the advice and consent OF
the Senate. and persons employed merely as
ldUOItTS anu WOIkuicus OuuCA tAlO hOU AuAOoS
however, there will be excepted from the ex-
animation which the classification implies
certain private secretaries, cuStOdlanS Oh
money, disbursing officers, secret service EN-
ployes, chief clerks and chiefs OF division.
The Smithsonian Institution.
In the death of Chief Justice Waite the
Smithsonian Instution lost its Chancellor.
The Institution has IL members only. They
are President (who is ex-officio the presiding
officer and Vice President of the, United
States, the Chief Justice, the members of
the Presidents Cabinet, and the Commis-
sioner of Patents. One of the memberships
has been vacant since the death of Vice
President Hendricks. Another will now re-
main vacant until Mr.. Waite's successor is
appointed. Mr.. Waite was one Of the IA re-
gents. The surviving regents OF the lnstltu-
tion are Senators ingalls,, Morrell, Gibson
and Cnlloin; Representatives S. S. Cox, w.
L. Wilson and w. W. Phelps; Henry Coppee
of Bethlehem, Pa; Noah Porter Of New Ha-
ven, Conn. j. G. Yelling and M. 9. MeIgs
of Washington, and J: B. Angel OF Ann Ar,
yesterday Justice Miller, the senior Asso-
ciate Justice and acting Chief Justice, was
elected Chancellor pro tempore. No money
can be drawn from the treasury for the in
stitution without the signatures Of the Chan
ctllOT anu OCCtctdl1s ouosAOo
fciate as Chancellor until Justice Waite's
successor is appointed.
The Nations Gratitude.
Pensions have been awarded the follow
ing Maine people:
ORIGINAL INVALID.
CYRUS P. Sanborn, MachaspOrt
Jas. NJ. Boyd, Carmel
Benj. N. Day, South Sanford.
Nathaniel Young, West Paris.
Thos Patmore, Eastport.
REISSUE AND INCREASE.
Isaac II. James, Eustis.
Hezekiah Richardson, Greenbush.