CIVIL SERVICE is a general name for all the duties rendered to and paid for by the state, other than those relating to naval and military matters. At the head of the British C. S., which numbers above 60,000 officials of all grades, are placed the officers of the royal household, under several departments. Then come the officers of the house of lords and the house of commons. Then a vast number of offices or departments. of which the following are the more. important: Treasury, home office, foreign office, colonial office, India office, war office, admiralty, board of trade, post-office. customs, inland revenue (including stamps, taxes, and excise), exchequer and audit office, office of woods and forests, office of works and buildings, duchy of Lancaster, public record office, local government board, education department, civil service commission, registrar general's office, stationery office, ecclesiastical commission, charity commission, patent office, emigration ofilce,Trinity house, heralds' college, law and equity courts,ecclesiastical and admiralty courts, prisons department, British museum, science and art department, diplomatic and consular corps. Several departments peculiar to Scotland and Ireland form distinct lists, not included in the above.
The heads of most of the departments are political officers, changing with the min istry. Others, such as the head of the exchequer and audit department, or the commis sioners of customs and of inland revenue, are permanent officials. Excluding the judi cial offices, and a few departments where special knowledge is required, the C. S. is open to the public generally, the principle of open competition being in force as regards most of the departments.
In former times appointments to the government offices were obtained mostly by favor; but now, merit and abilities are conditions superadded. By an order in council, dated May 21, 1855, the system was first placed on a new basis, and a commission was appointed to examine all candidates for the service. A candidate being nominated,. the commissioners in due time notified that he must come up to be examined, and produce certificates of birth, health, and character. The heads of the several departments agree with the commissioners as to the extent and nature of the subjects on which candidates should be examined. The commissioners neither nominate nor appoint; they only examine, and notify the result of the examination.
By an order in council, dated 4th June, 1870, the regulations were altered, the rule of open and unrestrictet competition being then introduced, qualified by some excep tions. In certain small and special offices, nomination with subsequent success at au
examination remained the rule of entry. But for all the principal departments—the foreign office being the only prominent exception—there is open competition, to which all British subjects of the required age and of good health and character, are admissible. For offices of the superior grade, the age is from 18 to 24, and in the lower division, the age is from 17 to 20. Boy clerks must be over 15 and under 17. Any successful candi date remaining on the list without obtaining an appointment, is struck off at the age of 25. Boy clerks who at 19 fail to obtain appointments as man clerks are also struck off. The first open competition held was on 22d Feb., 1871, when 30 situations in the excise were competed for by a large number of candidates. A further change was made by the introduction of "writers "—a species of " uncovenanted" clerks, who were paid by the hour, were dismissible at pleasure, and had no claim to pension. Writers were first introduced in Aug., 1870, and "boy clerks" were sanctioned in July, 1870.
These various changes (tending in the opinion of the service to lower the status of the officers) and the increased cost of living resulted in great agitation throughout the C. S., and in the appointment of a commission under Dr. Lyon Playfair, to reconsider the whole system of C. S. organization and pay. Following on reports from this com mission, considerable changes were made. The decision that the lower grade should have no claim to rise above £200 a year, or to obtain promotion into the higher grade, and the introduction of "duty-pay." as a means of rewarding special responsibilities, may be named amongst the chief alterations. The Playfair commission reported against the employment of temporary writers; and that class of employes ceased to be appointed after the issue of the order in council of 12th Feb., 1876, though a small class of temporary "copyists" is still maintained, The granting of pensions to the C. S. is now regulated by acts passed in 1859 and 1871, the latter allowing the commutation of pensions for a slamp suns when these have been granted on abolition or reorganization of office. The rate of pension is one sixtieth of pay for each year's service.
The more important departments of the C. S. will be found briefly described under their proper headings in this work.