A NECESSARY REFORM.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 72, 5 December 1855, Page 2

A NECESSARY REFORM.

Our readers are aware that a vigorous agitation is at present going forward in England for the promotion of reform in the administrative departments of the Government. The means by which this reform is proposed to be effected may be briefly expressed as the substitution of merit for patronage — of fitness for interest. As might be anticipated, the movement is met with the strongest opposition on the part of those privileged classes, which consider that they have a prescriptive right to a monopoly of all public offices of trust and emolument; but nevertheless, it is making decided advances in public estimation, and it has already been indirectly the means of compelling the introduction of some minor reforms into the subordinate branches of the administration.

Of these reforms, the most remarkable is that discussed in a recent article from the

Time*, which will be found copied into another part of this morning's issue, — the system, namely, of subjecting candidates for public office to a searching examination for the purpose of ascertaining their fitness or otherwise. Nothing can be more just or reason* able ; nothing can be better adapted to secure efficiency in the various branches of the executive Government; anothing can be a more effectual safeguard against bribery, corruption, nepotism, and all the other abuses which are inseparable from the now exploded system of patronage. It ia right that competency should gain the appointment, and that genuine merit should win the prize. So entirely just and reasonable is this plan, indeed, that— now that it is adopted— one id amazed ate the fact of its introduction having been so long resisted: but what will not combined wealth, power, and self-interest accomplish? "The new system has been in operation for. some short time in the Civil Service of the East India Company, and has already produced good fruits there i what benefits may not be anticipated from its introduction into that of the United Kingdom? It is a movement calculated to inspire the brightest topes in the breast of every .young man in Britain with an active intellect and a dear conscience. It is in fact the realization of Napoleon's noble maxim, La carriere ouverte aiuc talent. It scares away the whole brood of despicable vice 9 engendered of patronage and servility. It is a death-blow to ignorance, indolence, sneaking, and puppyism. Well : we look around upon this colony of Victoria and its neighbours, and we observe an immense necessity in all of them for the introduction of a similar reform. Turn which way we will, — to William-street in Melbourne, to Sydney, to Hobart Town, or to Adelaide, — and we discover a thousand proofs of the evil effects of making the appointment to public office dependent on anything rather than the fitness of the candidate. Through the working of the existing system the administrative departments of the Government here have been thrown into a state of almost hopeless confusion, after having nearly ruined this noble country by their extravagance, their blundering, their blank stupidity, and — worst of all — their gross malversation of the public money. In Sydney, the present Governor found, upon bis appointment, a state of things in this respect bearing some faint resemblance to Victoria ; and his efforts to reform it hare led to something like declared hostility between his Executive and himself. In Van Diemen's Land the Legislative and the Executive have come to an actual dead-lock, in consequence of the determination on the part of the former to investigate thoroughly charges of the most scandalous malversation which have been openly made, and indeed already substantiated, against the latter. The old system of irresponsibility is everywhere in these colonies tottering to its fall : but in any case, it could not have survived long ; it would soon have collapsed through sheer internal rottenness. When, however, the new system has been inaugurated, one of its first results will certainly be the reform we have here indicated. — Melbourne Age.

An Etb to Business.— A temperance lecturer in Devonshire, a short time since, finished hi* discourse thus : — " And, finally my hewers* why should any of you drink ardent spirits ? My sod Tom ha* got a* good cider a* any in the country, at sixpence a quart." . .

Father Gavazxi delivered his farewell address in Exeter Hall, previous to his departure for America. Subject : "England on the royal road to Popery."

Thb Meeohak* Service. — The Merchant Shipping Act, which came into operation on the Ist of May, is likely- to prove of great service in elevating the morals of the seamen belonging to the northern ports engaged in the foreign trade. By this act one fearful cause of drunkenness, immorality, and danger to human life — the advance-note, has no longer legal value: that if, the crimp, or holder of it cannol summon the owner of the vessel before the magistrate* for the value of it. Previous to the passing of the act the sailor waa furnished with an allotment-note a day or two before a vessel upon a foreign voyage sailed, which he generally cashed with a publican of Jew crimp, at an immense discount, and then drunk the money, and generally had to be taken on board the vessel bj the nver police after she was over the bar. A vessel was lost with twenty-six hands, off. Sunderland, laat winter, while the crew were all dead drunk in the forecastle; and many other fearful wrecks have occurred in the like manner, through the crew having become intoxicated after they had cashed their advancemote. An excellent provision is also made by the Kt— »viz., the establishment, in every shipping-office in the larger ports, of on establishment similar to the money-order department of the Poat Office. The shipping masters at the various port* will receive from seamen any money they may deliver to them for their friends, and will issue money-order* for the Bums so received, to be made payable by th* shipping-master at the porfc where the seaman's friend* reside. The . remittances are to be made free from all expense or deduction whatever. The act also contain* another clause, which will abvte much tyranny on board Teasel* on the high seas, and prevent collusion among officers to convict a seaman of an offence after the arrival of a vessel in port ; a captain or office* cannot take proceedings' against a seaman for an assault upon the high seas, unless the nature of th» occurrence is immediately entered up in the log-book, and read over to, the offender I—he,1 — he, at the same time, to have the privilege oi making his own statement, which the captain is obliged to take down and enter in the log-book with the charge, to be produced befon the magistrates. — Times.

Among the advertising curiosities in the column* of the Times, wo occasionally meet with some startling announcements. It was not long since " a mahogany child's chair" was offered for sale; and "a pony belonging to a lady with a piebald nose." The Amencani commit' a great many Irish blunders, a* the following selections show : — A New Orleans editor recording the career of a mad doc, says : — "We ar» grieved to tay that a rabid animal, before it could b* killed, bit Dr. Hart ana several other dogs." "For •ale, an excellent yonng horse; would suit any timid lady or gentleman with a long silver tail." A New York paper, announcing the wrecking of a vessel new the Narrows, Bays: — "The only passengers wer» T. B. Nanthan, Esq., who owned three-fourths of th» cargo and the captain's wife." The editor of » Western paper observes: — "The poem which we publish in this week's Herald was written by an esteemed Mend, who has lain many years in the gray* for his own amusement." The editor of an Eastern paper expresses great indignation at the manner in which a woman was buried who committed suicide. He says — " She was buried like a dog with her clothe* on." i

Metaphysics.— A Scotch blacksmith being asked the meaning of metaphysics, explained it as follows : — When the party who listens dinna ken what the party who 'speaks means, and when the party who speaks dinna ken what he means himself, that v metaphysics.