THE PROPOSED REFORM OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.
London, 18th February 1854.
Snt—The intimation in the Queen's Speech that an important reform of the Civil Service is under consideration, has naturally excited much atten- tion, particularly amongst the members of that service. The nature of the proposed reform has not yet been developed ; but it has been asserted by many, that it will be such as to sweep away all mere patronage, and to open the doors of office and (when office has been attained) of promotion only to the best qualified. If these prognostications be realized, we shall indeed have to welcome the "golden age" of the civil service ; but I fear, it, like the "golden age" of the poets' will turn out to be a mere fiction. It is asserted that a Board of Examiners will be established, and that the branches of examination will include the classics and history, ancient and modern, general knowledge, (the limits of which I do not pre- tend to define,) mathematics, and the Continental languages. Here is a sufficient range certainly ; and if the aspirants to office are required to understand so much, what shall we say of the Examiners themselves ? Every member of the Board ought surely to be qualified for a Professorship at Cambridge or Oxford, or to be Master of Eton or Harrow Schools. All this, Sir, sounds admirable in the abstract; but I fear it will be found very ridiculous in practice. It is frequently said of a genius, that he possesses every sense but common sense ; and I fear it will have to be said of the successful candidates at such examinations, that they possess every knowledge but that which is most requisite—a knowledge of business. It may be advanced that the examination will not be so extensive for subordinate offices. I propose then this dilemma. Either it will be so, or it will not. If it be so, the objection by which I am met falls to the ground ; and if it be not so, the examina- tion will not materially differ from that which takes place at present, and the whole new Board and system of examination will be unnecessary and a useless expense. I deny the assertions of those who maintain that classical knowledge and the knowledge of languages are the most fitting and essential qualifications for office in the civil service. I do not decry such knowledge as utterly useless, because I do not possess an average share of it myself. I would recommend all to acquire as much of it as they can, after first attending sufficiently to more indispensable qua- lifications; and as for myself, I may without vanity lay claim to a mode- rate acquaintance with it, which I still find time occasionally to cul- tivate. I contend, however, that a few months' strict training in a good mercantile counting-house, an extensive commercial agency office, or any large mercantile business, would qualify a young man for most branches of the civil service much better than a mere knowledge of all the tongues spoken at Babel. The mere scholar is seldom well qualified for the active business of life. He is a man of meditation and not of action ; and seldom acquires that quickness, tact, activity, and self-confidence, which are pos- sessed by one who since his schoolboy days has been educated more amongst men than books. Besides, let the examination be what it may, the nature of it will soon transpire, and a system of "cramming" for it will come into operation. He who has been most carefully crammed will (other obstacles, which I shall hereafter notice, being left out of sight) pro- bably succeed ; and instead of improving in office, and adding to his stock of useful knowledge, every year will probably wipe out some of that which by the excitement of competition and emulation before a Board of Essminers he was spurred on to acquire. But I beg to notice another consideration. Supposing the examination to be con- ducted with all possible fairness and the "beat man" to be successful, surely he must be one possessed of abilities and acquirements which might justify his aspiring to some higher distinction than a mere petty clerkship ; or is it to be held out to him that he may rise to be Chairman of the Board, and must therefore prove his qualifications for such a situation at the very outset of his career ? But further, how would a Board of Examiners be able to get through their work ? How is the number of candidates to be ? Their name, I fear, would be legion. What security, moreover, can be given that favouritism and partiality will not creep in even amongst a public Board of Examiners? I have known something of such matters, but I never yet knew a system of exa- mination which excluded the possibility of partiality and injustice. But there must, I presume, be various occasions for examination. First on entry into office, and again whenever promotion is sought. Is the game Board to examine on all occasions ? It must be obvious that an examination on en- try into office must be very different from one on promotion. The first may naturally embrace all the branches of a liberal education, and whatever else the whim of the Examiner may suggest ; the other must, I apprehend, be confined to a knowledge of the business of the service, and par- ticularly of the duties of the office to which the candidate aspires. Are the same Examiners to be competent for all occasions ? If 80, they must indeed be learned to examine almost "in omni seientik, et de quodlibet ente." Taking all these circumstances into consideration, it seems to me that there is much reason to fear that the proposed plan of reform is a sort of Utopian system, which may introduce much confusion, injustice, abuse, and very serious inconveniences. I am inclined to think that the present mode of appointing young men to the service, (although confessedly a mere system of patronage,) is as good as any other. Each individual, after nomination to office, undergoes an examination limited according to the nature of the duties which he will be required to perform. What more is requisite ? His success after- wards depends (or rattier should depend) upon his intelligence and, activity, and the attention and perseverance which he is capable of exerting. Under any system, some will always surpass others ; and in the course of tune, there would be as many drones and "heavy fellows" as there are now. But, Sir, although we hear so much of a reform in the civil service, I have never seen any proofs that the public have really complained that the subordinate offi- cers (of whom I am one) are unfit for their work. There is, absolutely, so far as I know, no such complaint. " Plectuntur Achivi," but the real com- plaint is merely against the " Reges." Many complaints have (whether justly or not I do not undertake to decide) been made against the Commis- sioners of Customs, but none against the subordinate officers: why, then, these sweeping and gratuitous accusations against them, as if they were gene- rally an ignorant and inefficient set of men, or, as it is usually worded, "of too low a grade." It is my opinion that there is plenty of talent and of efficiency in the service, but such qualities have not met with due encou- ragement. It is in this respect that reform is needed. When pro- motion is to be bestowed, the most active, intelligent, and best- qualified officer ought to be selected. It has never been so. It is not sufficiently so now. There are several classes of officers. Some are merely gentlemen ; some are gentlemen and men of business; some are men of business but not gentlemen ; and some are neither men of business nor gentlemen. In my experience the last class has been as successful as any of the others. How is a more desirable result to be insured in future ? A. degree of perfection in the principals seems to be required which it is use- less to expect. They ought to possess acuteness, knowledge of business, in- sight into character, impartiality, and an immoveable determination to exer- cise their powers without fear, favour, or affection. Such "faultless mon- sters" are, I fear, not to be found. Something has been accomplished of late years ; and by what mama? By the publicity which the proceedings of the Customhouse authorities have drawn upon the department. To this, I for one am more inclined to trust than to any other scheme. Let whatever is done be made as public as possible ; and the wholesome fear of exposure will cheek, if it cannot prevent altogether, the operations of that corruption to which the best of us is naturally too much inclined. Whenever a vacancy occurs, let every officer in the grade immediately behind be permitted to become a candidate if he sees fit. Let a tribunal as fair as is possible be con- stituted to decide on the claims which may be sent in ; and let a general order be published and circulated after each appointment, stating the names of the committee which decided, the names of the candidates for promotion, and the grounds on which the decision in favour of any particular individual was arrived at. It seems to me that such a system would introduce a great reform and a great improvement: but " publicity " is my aim, and if any plan can be suggested better calculated to provide for it, to such a plan I would give a preference.
The subject is one of much importance, and cannot be too much discussed. On this consideration I rely as my apology for troubling you with this
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