New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-15
COLONIES AND CIVIL SERVICE.
BISHOP POTTERs CITATION OF ENGLANDS
EXPERIENCE AS REPRESENTED BY
MR. HOWARD.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

| To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Few Americans and fewer NEWCOMERS
| would deny to Bishop Potter the possession OF
patriotism. judicial mindedness on matters Ma
! tional and international. and, generally, falr>
| ness in discussing such matters In TACT, We
expect TO find his utterances loaded -"sx
! fingers" as Webster Is said to have declared
he was when he entered the Senate on the day
Of his reply to Hayne-wth ethical and politi-
! cal significance
H. however the report In The Tribune or
the 18th OF hts address before tho Episcopal
! Congress at St Paul be correct no seems to
/ have made such use Of one citation as to render
a misunderstanding unavoidable in the minds
/ Of readers not familiar with the facts. IIo was
obviously referring to an article hy O. r.
! Howard IN THE Political Science Quarterly"
OF June last on imperialism and the civil Ser
+ vice." the imperialism and the CIVIL Service
discussed being those Of England The Bishop
cites Mr.. Howard as authority for the d"clara-
tion that 1T took England two hundred and
/ fifty years after the beginning Of her history
as Al imperialistc Power TO get decent Civl
Service" The declaration in the strict terms in
which It IS made. would probably be sufficiently
answered by saying that for many hundred
years while she not the ruler Of distant
Provinces England also failed 10 get such
! civil Service: but As should not assume that
the Bishop was using words that were without
meaning are safe in Interpreting his mean
ing to be that England's imperialism retarded
her obtaining decent civil Service"
My criticism is that the paper in THE Quar-
terry" does not establish that but points much
more strongly to the opposite conclusion. the
most important facts being stated in such com
pact order mainly on the same page. That II Is
difficult to understand how the Bishop. II duly
alert as to the import Of what he was reading
could have permitted this fact to escape MS
i attention The conclusions OF the author OF the
paper are most "amely and impotenty eN-
pressed-as II aware that his facts disproved
his theory-as the following OPP 24i-') lndi-
Gates.
one might he tempted offhand to infer that
under the stimulus Of colonial empire, the IoHdI
/ prorocafive had by the time Of Walpole Drought
/ The Rrifish civil Service to its .iaGir e alase-
ment from which. Notwithstanding the growth
Of democracy and Of general socia culture II
has REQUIRED more than another century 10
raise It Indeed. there IL abundant evidence
/ Of the kind already suggested 10 show that such
an Inference would not come far snort OF the
truth.
An inference which the one making It thinks
would not come far short Of the truth which
he himself does not claim quite touches me
/ truth-need not much concern any one; hut the
Bishops positive declaration Is not made with
anv such uncertainty as characterzes Mr.. How
ards statement OF his inference. which does not
.come far short Of the truth" need not stop
! TO induirc into Mr. Towards stimulation OF the
royal prciogatlve It would be a unique thera-
peutical performance: he no doubt meant the
stimulation Of efforts 70 maintain it and extend
/ It's scope.
But however uncertain his differences. Mr..
} HoWard's statements Of facts are clear enough.
lie says %. 2iJ):
Only in 1853 was the system Of open compeu-
tive examination Of candidates for the India
service resolved upon although some years
earlier partial reform had taken place In
/ 1870 the new plsn was put IN force
The above as to the East. now to the do
nestle:
1t was in 1853. likewise. that the first step
was taken toward effective reform IN the
method Of choosing members Of the domestic
civil Service \ Parliamentary committee maze
an inquiry into the state OF the existing service
and recommended system u open comptut
examination 80 action was taken by Parla-
lnont. but in 1875. by an order IN council 4
/ Civil Service Commission was appointed uhue'
/ whose direction all candidates Tor junior posi-
lions in the GeUartments were 10 De examined
before they could receive a precautionary APP
roiutment for six months. The order however
Ala NOT nrovide for "open" competition, az rec
ommended only a limited number Of candi-
dates-in practice three or more-could compel
eacn
by the heads II the different ofh'es. bul
II was not until 1870 that patronage received IT'S
deathblow. by the adoption or the system 81
open competition opp. -f'-pl
The assumption IS that Englands service was
demoralized her attainment OF the reform sys-
TEN DELAYED because she had colonial posses
s,ors Mr. Hovard's article makes it clear that
Il was IN her colonialwhat no doubt the Bisnop
would prefer 10 call her "lmperialistic' admin
rff - rnf
nractice. so that when the system Of open COM
f rat,tive examinations" was established in her
0opest,c or home service in 1870. she had as an
ob,oct lesson the results u fifteen years eX-
nerionce Of It as applied 70 East Indian affairs
Some wears earlier than 1888, he says a par
t,al reform had taken place" In the East Indian
service. and IN 1855 it put IN force" Bur
# was only in 1893 that the first step toward
an effective reform In the domestic service was
taken. and not until 1870 that It was com
pleted
Mr. Howard attempts o. PAD to account for
this;
II IS instructive that the trial OF this plan in
the Indian service. fifteen years before II was
F was largely due to the tact that prerogative had
less at stake. while the Indian Office was still
nominnlly under The patronage OF the directors
OF the East India Company.
Then. with unfaltering courage. and regard
loss Of how seriously his theory is suffering he
quotes this from Vol III OF Molesworths
History Of England.
The Government. which would probably have
J. strenuousy resisted such an attempt to inter
+ fore with its patronage In ENGLAND. consented.
without much reluctance, to trial or the eA-
r pertinent In india.
Apprcciating the Importance Of demonstrating
the utility Of reform 10y practical expert
rnent the reader will readily perceive how IS
+ sentlal II was 10 the making OF this experiment
IN England that she had great Eastern pos
session in which 10 make II. whore the attempt
IN Interfere with the patronage would not BE-