of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, for various purposes connected with the mercantile navy. These Local Marine Boards appoint shipping-masters, deputy-shipping-masters, clerks, and messengers, to transact the business of the shipping officers at the respective ports. The sanction of the Board of Trade is required, so far as regards the salaries, &c., of these officers; and this Board has power to require them to give security for the due performance of their duties; and has also power to remove any of them, if their duties are not properly performed. In The business at these shipping offices involves the receipt and payment of money, and demands correctness in keeping the accounts. the case of the shipping-masters and deputy-shipping-masters, considerable judgment, and some knowledge of the practical questions arising between masters of ships and their crews, as well as considerable judgment and temper, are often required. My Lords have no reason to be dissatisfied with the intelligence and ability shown by the persons hitherto so appointed, but looking to the success which appears to have attended the system of examination in the Civil Service, their Lordships think it might be very advantageously extended to the persons nominated by the local Marine Boards, for the appointments above referred to, if those Boards are willing to adopt it. The establishments of the Trinity House, the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, and the Port of Dublin Corporation, in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin respectively, are placed in a somewhat similar position under the Merchant Shipping Act, the appointments being made by the above named establishments, and the salaries being fixed by Order in Council, and not altered without the consent of the Board of Trade. In the case of the Trinity House, a system of examination has, my Lords believe, already been adopted by the Corporation. The persons in question can scarcely be deemed "Civil Servants of "the Crown," as they are not appointed by any minister of the Crown; and no test by examination or otherwise could be applied to them, without the full concurrence of the bodies which make the appointments; but before applying to those bodies on the subject, my Lords would be glad to learn, whether, if this concurrence were obtained, the Civil Service Commissioners would consider it within their province to undertake the examinations of the persons so appointed. I am, &c. Mr. Maitland to Mr. Booth. Civil Service Commission, 25th March 1857. SIR, In reply to your letter of the 21st instant, relative to the examination of such persons as may be nominated by Local Marine Boards, and by the Trinity House, the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, and the Port of Dublin Corporation, to the situations therein referred to, I am directed by the Civil Service Commissioners to acquaint you, for the information of the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade, that on the proposed arrangement being carried out the Commissioners will be prepared to comply with the request which their Lordships have been good enough to address to them. It is perhaps unnecessary that matters of detail should be discussed until the applications contemplated by their Lordships have been made. I have, &c. M SIR, WAR DEPARTMENTS. Mr. Bacon to Mr. Maitland. War Office, Pall Mall, S.W., 7th July 1857. WITH reference to the regulations for the admission of non-commissioned officers to Clerkships at outstations of the War Department, I am directed by Lord Panmure to inform you that as it appears that many deserving non-commissioned officers may be precluded from obtaining these clerkships in consequence of their age on discharge being slightly in excess of the limit (viz., 40 years), laid down on the circular memorandum of the 9th June 1856, his Lordship proposes to extend the limit for these officers from 40 to 42 years, and I am therefore to request that you will move the Civil Service Commissioners to grant certificates to such of this class of candidates as are within 42 years of age, and are otherwise qualified to receive them. SIR, I have, &c. QUARTER-MASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE. Mr. Mann to Major General Sir Richard Airey, K. C.B. Civil Service Commission, 17th September 1857. IN transmitting herewith a certificate of qualification for Mr. whose nomination to a temporary clerkship in your department was announced by your letter of the 8th inst., I am directed by the Civil Service Commissioners to acquaint you that Mr. was examined under their directions in the month of September 1855, on being then nominated to the same situation, and that a certificate of qualification was then refused on account of his inability to pass in orthography and arithmetic, two out of the three subjects which were prescribed as essential by the Quarter-MasterGeneral's letter of 10th September 1855. A desire was subsequently expressed that Mr. might be allowed to serve, notwithstanding his rejection by the Commissioners, but the inconsistency of such a course with the provisions of the Order in Council was pointed out by Mr. Spedding's letter of 21st September 1855. Since the rejection thus referred to, Mr. had not, until Tuesday last, been again presented to the Civil Service Commissioners for examination. It appears, however, from a document produced by him on his recent attendance, that he has been in continuous employment as a temporary clerk in the Quarter-Master-General's department for the last two years. As the Commissioners have not been made acquainted with any peculiar circumstances by which his employment without the authority required by Her Majesty's Order in Council may have been occasioned, they consider it right to bring under your notice the facts above narrated. I have, &c. ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE. Lieutenant General Sir G. A. Wetherall, K. C.B., to Mr. Maitland. SIR, I REQUEST that you will have the goodness to express to the Civil Service Commissioners, my wish that the young gentlemen named in the margin should be examined before them with regard to their scholastic acquirements, more particularly under the general heads of, Précis of official papers. Writing from dictation. Arithmetic, including vulgar and decimal fractions. Geography. General outlines of history. and are clerks of the third I beg to state that Messrs. class of my office, that an opportunity for the promotion of them has offered itself, that their general official claims, both as to quality and length of service, are so nearly on a par, as (in my opinion) to afford no sufficient ground of preference, and that I see no better course to adopt than to afford them the opportunity of undergoing a competitive examination before the Board. It would be convenient if the examination could be completed before the last day of this month. I have, &c. Mr. Maitland to Lieutenant General Sir G. A. Wetherall. Civil Service Commission, 2nd February 1857. SIR, In reply to your letter of yesterday's date, requesting the Civil Service Commissioners will undertake the examination of two gentlemen, at present third class clerks in your office, one of whom it is intended to promote, I am directed by the Civil Service Commissioners to state that they will have great pleasure in complying with your request. They propose to commence the examination on Monday, at 10 a.m., which will ensure its being finished on Wednesday at the latest, and they will be obliged by your directing due notice to be given to the candidates. I have, &c. SIR, COUNCIL OF MILITARY EDUCATION. I AM directed by the General commanding in chief to transmit to you, for the information of the Civil Service Commissioners, copies of a letter from the War Office, and from Major-General Cameron, regarding Serjeant Thomas Paul, R.A., master gunner at Hastings, who has been selected for the situation of clerk to the Council of Military Education; and to request you will cause the necessary steps to be taken for the examination of this non-commissioned officer, in the usual manner, upon the points named by the Vice-President of the Council, viz., writing from dictation and the first four rules of arithmetic, simple and compound. As the services of a clerk are urgently required at the Council of Military Education, it is expedient that Serjeant Paul should be examined as soon as possible. At the same time it is desirable that timely notice be sent to him of the day on which he will be required to appear before the Civil Service Commissioners. Enclosure. I have, &c. SIR, War Office, 27th January 1858. IN reply to your letter of the 7th instant, stating that His Royal Highness the General commanding in chief, had selected Serjeant Thomas Paul, R.A., master gunner at Hastings, for the situation of clerk to the Council of Military Education, I am directed by Lord Panmure to request that you will state, for the information of his Lordship, whether Serjeant Paul has passed an examination before the Civil Service Commissioners, as such a step will be necessary under the Order in Council establishing the Commission, in order to secure to him the advantages of his situation. The Military Secretary, SIR, Horse Guards. Enclosure. I am, &c. (Signed) B. HAWES. 1, Whitehall Yard, 2nd February 1858. In reply to your communication of the 28th ultimo, I have the honor to enclose a letter from master gunner T. Paul, by which it appears that he has not ❘assed any examination before the Civil Service Commission. Should it be necessary for this non-commissioned officer to be examined, I have the honor to request that he may be tested in writing from dictation and in the first four rules of arithmetic, simple and compound. The Military Secretary. I have, &c. (Signed) D. CAMERON, Enclosure. SIR, Govt House, Hastings, 30th January 1858. IN reply to a memorandum received this morning, I beg to inform you, for the information of Major General Cameron, that I have not passed an examination before the Civil Service Commissioners. Lt. Col. Addison, Council of Education. SIR, Mr. Maitland to Major-General Sir. C. Yorke, K. C.B., &c. &c. Civil Service Commission, 3rd February 1858. In reply to your letter of this day's date, relative to the examination of Serjeant Thos. Paul, I am directed by the Civil Service Commissioners to state, that they will be prepared to examine the candidate on Saturday the 6th, or Tuesday the 9th instant. An order of examination is forwarded by this evening's post. I am to add, that limits of age being contemplated by the Order in Council under which the Commissioners act, and the appointment being recognized by Sir B. Hawes as falling within that Order, it appears necessary that limits of age should be established, although under the circumstances of the case, it may be deemed expedient that such limits should be more extensive than those fixed for ordinary clerkships. The Commissioners would be much obliged if you will ascertain what limits are considered desirable, and will communicate with them on the subject, in order that no delay may take place in the issue of their certificate after the candidate has passed his examination. I have, &c. SIR, Major-General Sir C. Yorke, K.C.B., to Mr. Maitland. Horse Guards, 4th February 1858. WITH reference to your letter of the 3rd instant, regarding the examination of Serjeant Thos. Paul, R.A., previously to his appointment as clerk to the Council of Military Education, I am directed by the General commanding in chief, to acquaint you, for the information of the Civil Service Commissioners, that this non-commissioned officer is stated to be 38 years of age. With regard to your inquiry as to the general question of age in such cases, I have to observe, that it was proposed by the Secretary of State for War, in a letter dated 11th June 1857, (copy of which is enclosed,) that non-commissioned officers should be considered eligible as candidates for clerkships in that Department at out-stations up to 42, and His Royal Highness seeing no objection, the age has been fixed accordingly. OFFICE OF WOODS. Hon. James Howard to the Civil Service Commissioners. GENTLEMEN, Office of Woods, S.W., 4th March 1857. I BEG leave to acquaint you, with reference to the letter addressed by you on the 20th November last, to Mr. Macaulay, on the subject of the necessity of Mr. F. passing an examination to entitle him to hold the situation of clerk to the Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest, that the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury have nominated Mr. F. to the above-named situation, and he is now ready to appear before your Board to pass his examination in the subjects that Mr. Cumberbatch, the Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest, states are requisite for the duties which he will be called upon to perform; viz., Arithmetic, as far as decimal fractions. Writing a fair hand. Keeping account books neatly and fairly. I am, &c. SIR, Mr. Maitland to the Hon. James Howard. Civil Service Commission, 6th March 1857. In reply to your letter of the 4th instant relative to the exami nation of Mr. F., who has been nominated as clerk to the Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest, I am directed by the Civil Service Commissioners to acquaint you that they will be prepared to commence the examination of the candidate in the subjects specified in your communication, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday next. It will be desirable that he should call at this office to-morrow, or on Monday, if he can do so without inconvenience. I have, &c. |