The number of extra subjects in respect of which honorary certificates have been given is, as will be seen from one of the Tables which follow the Second Report of the Commissioners, by no means a small one. 4. I am also to enclose a copy of a resolution unanimously agreed to by the House of Commons on Tuesday last. It will be for the consideration of the Trustees whether there are any peculiarities in the present case which should prevent the introduction of competitive examinations. 5. I am to transmit a document showing the limits of age and subjects of examination, as arranged with the great majority of the Public Departments, and I am to add that, the Commissioners having been informed that alterations in the establishment of the Museum are in contemplation, have thought the present a convenient time for bringing the subject under the notice of the Trustees. Enclosure. I have, &c. COPY of a Resolution moved by Lord Goderich, in the House of Commons, Tuesday, July 14th, 1857, and unanimously agreed to. "That in the opinion of this House, the experience acquired since the issuing of the "Order in Council of the 21st day of May 1855, is in favour of the adoption of the prin"ciple of competition as a condition of entrance to the Civil Service, and that the appli"cation of that principle ought to be extended in conformity with the resolution of the "House, agreed to on the 24th day of April 1856." SIR, Mr. Panizzi to Mr. Maitland. British Museum, 22nd July 1857. I HAVE had the honour to lay before the Trustees of the British Museum your letter of the 16th instant, and the documents transmitted therewith by direction of the Civil Service Commissioners, the receipt. of which I am directed by the Trustees to acknowledge. All appointments in the Museum, with the exception of the Principal Librarian, are made by the three principal Trustees, who are the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, and the Speaker, to whom your communication has been transmitted. I am, &c. CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION. SIR, SIR, I am, &c. Mr. Maitland to Mr. Serjeant Merewether. Civil Service Commission, 22nd October 1857. REFERRING to your letter of yesterday's date relative to the examinations which it is proposed to institute in the case of persons nominated to offices and clerkships under the Corporation of London, I am directed by the Civil Service Commissioners to enclose copies of the forms, &c., ordinarily used at this office. I also enclose copies of the First and Second Reports of the Commissioners. To both of these specimens of the Examination Papers which have been given to candidates are appended, and the Order in Council, under which the Commissioners act, will be found at the commencement of the former. Among the enclosures will also be found a copy of a resolution unanimously agreed to by the House of Commons on the 14th of July last. With reference to the subject of that resolution, I am to state that the system of competition among a limited number of nominees has now been established in most of the public departments, and that the experience which the Commissioners have acquired leads them to regard it as on many grounds preferable to that of nominating only one candidate for each vacancy. I am to add that any further information which may be necessary will be readily furnished either in answer to specific questions or at a personal interview with any gentleman whom you may depute to make inquiries. I have, &c. COLONIAL OFFICE, Mr. Merivale to the Civil Service Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Labouchere to communicate to you the copy of a despatch from the Governor of Ceylon, reporting very favourably of Messrs. Gillman and Steele, who were appointed to writerships in that colony after a competitive examination before you. Copy of Despatch enclosed in the above Letter. I am, &c. Queen's House, Colombo, 24th July 1857. SIR, 2. Mr. Steele came up at the same time for his examination in Cinghalese, and though not equally successful, being recommended to prosecute his studies farther, he deserves credit for the attempt. I have no doubt that in January he will succeed. To the Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, I have, &c. Encl. 1. Encl. 3. Mr. Merivale to Mr. Maitland. SIR, SIR, Copy. I am, &c. Palace, Valletta, December 18th, 1857. AN application having been made to me to send, for the information of the Civil Service Commission, a short resumé of the working of the system of competitive examinations in Malta, I now enclose three abstracts of the Examiners' Schedules on the occasion of filling up the latest vacant clerkships in this Government, and I have considered it right to send this information through the usual channel. 2. I continue to be of opinion that the system of giving clerkships to the young men under twenty-two years of age, who pass the best examination, is working advantageously for Malta, and the competition created is evidently having the effect of improving the schools. The Right Hon. H. Labouchere, &c. &c. &c. Enclosure 1. Abstract of Examiners' Schedules. I have, &c., WM. REID. 606 2 111 109 125 15 27 100 564 3 74 119 24 26 419 68 118 3 402 2000, 80, 24 Modern Languages. ៖ ត ន ៖ ៨ ៖ ខ គ ខ្ល ឥ ឧ ទី ៖ ទី | Handwriting and 25 Custom House, 26th July 1856. nomi SIR, WITH reference to your letter of the 18th instant, enclosing an order for the examination, on the 23rd instant, of nated tidewaiter and patrol at Dublin, who had failed to attend for examination by Dr. Ball on the 17th instant, the date originally fixed for that purpose, and stating that if further postponement should be deemed desirable the Commissioners would be prepared to name a later day. I am directed herewith to transmit a report from the Collector and Comptroller of Customs at the port of Dublin, and to state that under the circumstances therein represented, the Board are of opinion that may be allowed further time, and that another day should be fixed for his examination before Dr. Ball, but that he should undergo strict medical examination as to his fitness in regard to health for the duties of the situation to which he has been nominated previously to his admission to duty. Enclosure. I am, &c. HONORABLE SIR, Custom House, Dublin, 23rd July 1856. WITH reference to your order of the 19th instant, No. 227, directing who has been nominated to the office of tidewaiter at this port, to appear before Dr. Ball for examination, We report that is still incapable of attending, and we enclose an application from his father, with a medical certificate annexed, requesting a further extension of time. We have made inquiries into this matter, and are quite satisfied that is dangerously ill, and we feel bound to say that we think the surgeon who first examined him did not give a fair and honest certificate. We believe to be suffering from disease of the lungs, of long standing, and that if he recovers from his present attack he will not be fit for the duties of a tidewaiter. It would be far better for the service if all persons on first appointments were examined by a medical man who was paid by the Crown, instead of the present practice of allowing the parties to bring in medical certificates from their private friends. And in this case we feel certain we have been misled. (Signed) W. P. GARDNER, Collector. Mr. Maclean to Mr. Maitland. SIR, Custom House, London, 15th July 1857. In reply to your letter of the 26th ultimo, in which you transmitted a certificate of qualification for Mr. as a landing-waiter at this port, and stated, with reference to the age of Mr. and the particular circumstances of his case, that as the Civil Service Commissioners had not been informed of any general rule extending the limits of age for admission to the Customs service in favour of candidates who have previously been in other public departments, you were to signify the opinion of the Commissioners, that it might be well to express such rule in definite terms, I am directed to acquaint you, for the information of the Commissioners, that, the Board having_communicated with the Lords of the Treasury on the subject, their Lordships have, by their letter dated. the 9th instant, approved of the following regulations, viz. :— That in those offices in which the maximum age of admission is 25, no person should be admitted from another public department who shall have attained the age of 30 years, nor even when over 25 and under 30 years, unless the party be appointed direct from such department, and shall have been under 25 when first admitted. And with respect to the offices of boatmen and watchmen, to which offices persons are admissible to the age of 30 years, and housekeepers, doorkeepers, and messengers, who are admissible to the age of 35: That no person should be admitted to those offices who shall have attained the ages of 30 or 35 respectively, although he may be removed from another department. Mr. Maclean to Mr. Maitland. I am, &c. Custom House, London, 18th January 1858. SIR, MR. HAYTER, Secretary to the Treasury, having in a communication dated the 11th ultimo, represented to the Board of Customs that difficulty had been experienced in obtaining suitable candidates for the office of Principal Coast Officer in consequence of the stringent nature of the examination at present in force for such offices, I am directed to acquaint you, for the information of the Civil Service Commissioners, that the Board have proposed to omit history from among the subjects for examination for coast officers, of which proposition Mr. Hayter has approved, and I am to signify the request of the Board to be informed whether the Commissioners have any objections to the course now proposed. I am, &c. |