a subject in a short time and in few words; like good gunpowder, that explodes in one flash, and leaves nothing unburnt behind. Be assured that no inconsiderable part of your success at an examination depends on your following out these directions. Your first care indeed should be to master the various subjects; for no amount of dexterity in answering can compensate for downright want of knowledge. But it often happens that moderate scholarship, aided by quickness, tact, and judgment, goes farther at an examination, than great learning impeded by slovenly answering. The man who despises these necessary precautions, and enters the field trusting solely in the mere bulk of his knowledge, may find to his cost, that his massive club and all his ponderous efforts to wield it, are no match for the light well-aimed missiles of some nimble adversary with half his strength. I have now pointed out, with I hope sufficient clearness and detail, the course to be pursued by a young man who wishes to fight his way into the Civil Service. The undertaking is a laborious one, but the reward is worth the labour. Many will, no doubt, shrink from the task, for among all classes of people, there are some—and those not a few-who, because they are too indolent to exert themselves, remain all their lives hewers of wood and drawers of water. Others again will work with only half a heart, skimming superficially over everything, and depending for the final result on some stroke of good fortune, or on the force of their own natural abilities. While such people are dreaming on the way, the working men-men made of better stuff-are pressing steadily on to the front rank. Be not deterred at the prospect of difficulties; they are more apparent than real, and fade away before a steady will. Work patiently in the trenches, advancing them gradually on every side, and you will in the end reduce the citadel, while others are marching round it, blowing their trumpets, and vainly expecting to see the walls fall down at every blast. APPENDIX. THE Civil Service Commissioners give notice, that the following Regulations for Examinations, to be held in pursuance of Her Majesty's Order in Council of June 4th, 1870, have been approved by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. Civil Service Commission, Dec. 6, 1870. I. REGULATIONS (framed in pursuance of Her Majesty's Order in Council of the 4th day of June, 1870), for an Open Competitive Examination for Clerkships, &c., in the Departments mentioned in the Schedule hereto annexed. N.B.-These Regulations_apply only to the Competitive Examination to be held on the [ ]. For any subsequent Examination fresh Regulations will be issued, which may be different from these. the day of 1. On and following days, an examination will be held, in London, of candidates for permanent clerkships and similar situations in some or all of the Departments named in the Schedule hereto annexed [*]; such clerkships, &c., will be filled up by means of this competition, if so many candidates shall be found qualified according to the rules herein-after prescribed. 2. This competition will, subject to the payment of the fees herein-after mentioned, be open to all persons, being natural-born subjects of Her Majesty, who, on or before the day of shall have produced evidence prima facie satisfactory to the Civil Service Commissioners, showing (a.) That their age, on the first day of the examination, will not be less than 18, nor more than 24; (b.) That their health and character are such as to qualify them for admission to the Civil Service in the departments referred to; (c.) That they have passed the preliminary examination prescribed in Regulation 3. The date of this examination, and the number and nature of the appointments to be competed for, will be announced as soon as the necessary arrangements have been made. In the meantime, it should be understood that a considerable time may elapse before this date can be fixed, and that no one will be eligible whose age, on the first day of the competitive examination, shall exceed 24. 3. Preliminary examinations, for the purpose of deciding who shall be admitted to the subsequent competition, will be held by the Civil Service Commissioners in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin,* on the following days, viz., January 3, 10, 17, and 24, and such other days as the Commissioners may appoint, in the following subjects: 1. Handwriting; 2. Orthography; 3. Arithmetic (to Vulgar and Decimal Fractions); 4. English Composition; and no candidate who fails to satisfy the Civil Service Commissioners of his competence in each of these subjects will be admitted to the next competitive examination, or to any similar preliminary test examination which may be held within a period of three months. Application for permission to attend one of these preliminary examinations must be made to the Civil Service Commissioners by letter, in the writing of the candidate, a fortnight at least before the day on which he wishes to attend.+ A fee of one pound will be required from each candidate attending this examination. 4. The competitive examination will take place in the following branches of knowledge: English Composition (including Précis-writing), English Language and Literature, Language, Literature, and History of Greece, Rome, France, Germany, Marks. 500 500 500 750 750 375 375 375 1250 Mathematics (pure and mixed)," these branches of knowledge. No subjects are obligatory. 1000 500 375 375 , any or all of A fee of £5 will be required from every candidate attending this examination. 5. The merit of the persons examined will be estimated by marks; and the number set opposite to each branch in the preceding regulation denotes the greatest number of marks that can be obtained in respect of it. 6. No candidate will be allowed any marks in respect of any subject of On future occasions arrangements may be made, if it prove desirable, for holding the preliminary examinations in other places also. On receipt of this application, instructions will be given as to the time and place of examination, mode of paying the fee, &c. examination, unless he shall be considered to possess a competent knowledge of that subject. 7. The examination will be conducted by means of printed questions and written answers, and by vivá voce examination, as may be deemed necessary. 8. The marks obtained by each candidate in respect of the subjects in which he shall have been examined will be added up, and the [ ] candidates who shall have obtained a greater aggregate number of such marks than any of the remaining candidates will be deemed to be selected candidates, and will be entitled to be employed on probation each in one of the [ ] clerkships or other situations, specified in the annexed schedule, which are now vacant or which may next become vacant; provided that he be duly qualified according to the special rules prescribed, under Clause IV. of Her Majesty's Order in Council of 4th June, 1870, for the particular situation to which he may be appropriated, as arranged in the following Regulation (9). 9. Subject to the last-mentioned condition, the particular departments and situations to which the selected candidates may be respectively appointed will be determined by their own choice, exercised, while an alternative remains, by each in the order of his position on the List. Vacancies, as they occur, will be announced by the chiefs of the various Departments to the Civil Service Commissioners, who will communicate with the qualified candidates next in order of choice, and report the result to the Departments concerned. In case of a vacancy occurring in a Department, for which no one on the list of selected candidates is in all respects qualified, the Civil Service Commissioners may either hold a special open competition for the appointment, or may offer it to the candidate highest at the time on the list of selected candidates, subject to his passing a qualifying examination within such period as they may determine. 10. Every selected candidate, after being assigned to a Department, will enter on a period of probation, and he will not remain in the Public Service after six months from the date of his appointment, unless satisfactory proofs of his fitness shall have been furnished to the chief of such Department, and a certificate of his qualification shall have been issued by the Civil Service Commissioners. SCHEDULE of DEPARTMENTS and SITUATIONS referred to in the preceding Regulations (I.). The number and nature of the appointments to be competed for will be announced as soon as the necessary arrangements have been made. * See note (*) ante [p. 97]. |