representative government-第63章

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ther　can　reasonably　be　expected　from　a　minister；　who　must　rely　wholly　on　recommendations；　and　however　disinterested　as　to　his　personal　wishes；　never　will　be　proof　against　the　solicitations　of　persons　who　have　the　power　of　influencing　his　own　election；　or　whose　political　adherence　is　important　to　the　ministry　to　which　he　belongs。　These　considerations　have　introduced　the　practice　of　submitting　all　candidates　for　first　appointments　to　a　public　examination；　conducted　by　persons　not　engaged　in　politics；　and　of　the　same　class　and　quality　with　the　examiners　for　honours　at　the　Universities。　This　would　probably　be　the　best　plan　under　any　system；　and　under　our　parliamentary　government　it　is　the　only　one　which　affords　a　chance；　I　do　not　say　of　honest　appointment；　but　even　of　abstinence　from　such　as　are　manifestly　and　flagrantly　profligate。　　　It　is　also　absolutely　necessary　that　the　examinations　should　be　competitive；　and　the　appointments　given　to　those　who　are　most　successful。　A　mere　pass　examination　never；　in　the　long　run；　does　more　than　exclude　absolute　dunces。　When　the　question；　in　the　mind　of　an　examiner；　lies　between　blighting　the　prospects　of　an　individual；　and　neglecting　a　duty　to　the　public　which；　in　the　particular　instance；　seldom　appears　of　first　rate　importance；　and　when　he　is　sure　to　be　bitterly　reproached　for　doing　the　first；　while　in　general　no　one　will　either　know　or　care　whether　he　has　done　the　latter；　the　balance；　unless　he　is　a　man　of　very　unusual　stamp；　inclines　to　the　side　of　good　nature。　A　relaxation　in　one　instance　establishes　a　claim　to　it　in　others；　which　every　repetition　of　indulgence　makes　it　more　difficult　to　resist；　each　of　these　in　succession　becomes　a　precedent　for　more；　until　the　standard　of　proficiency　sinks　gradually　to　something　almost　contemptible。　Examinations　for　degrees　at　the　two　great　Universities　have　generally　been　as　slender　in　their　requirements　as　those　for　honours　are　trying　and　serious。　Where　there　is　no　inducement　to　exceed　a　certain　minimum；　the　minimum　comes　to　be　the　maximum：　it　becomes　the　general　practice　not　to　aim　at　more；　and　as　in　everything　there　are　some　who　do　not　attain　all　they　aim　at；　however　low　the　standard　may　be　pitched；　there　are　always　several　who　fall　short　of　it。　When；　on　the　contrary；　the　appointments　are　given　to　those；　among　a　great　number　of　candidates；　who　most　distinguish　themselves；　and　where　the　successful　competitors　are　classed　in　order　of　merit；　not　only　each　is　stimulated　to　do　his　very　utmost；　but　the　influence　is　felt　in　every　place　of　liberal　education　throughout　the　country。　It　becomes　with　every　schoolmaster　an　object　of　ambition；　and　an　avenue　to　success；　to　have　furnished　pupils　who　have　gained　a　high　place　in　these　competitions；　and　there　is　hardly　any　other　mode　in　which　the　State　can　do　so　much　to　raise　the　quality　of　educational　institutions　throughout　the　country。　　　Though　the　principle　of　competitive　examinations　for　public　employment　is　of　such　recent　introduction　in　this　country；　and　is　still　so　imperfectly　carried　out；　the　Indian　service　being　as　yet　nearly　the　only　case　in　which　it　exists　in　its　completeness；　a　sensible　effect　has　already　begun　to　be　produced　on　the　places　of　middle…class　education；　notwithstanding　the　difficulties　which　the　principle　has　encountered　from　the　disgracefully　low　existing　state　of　education　in　the　country；　which　these　very　examinations　have　brought　into　strong　light。　So　contemptible　has　the　standard　of　acquirement　been　found　to　be　among　the　youths　who　obtain　the　nomination　from　the　minister　which　entitles　them　to　offer　themselves　as　candidates；　that　the　competition　of　such　candidates　produces　almost　a　poorer　result　than　would　be　obtained　from　a　mere　pass　examination；　for　no　one　would　think　of　fixing　the　conditions　of　a　pass　examination　so　low　as　is　actually　found　sufficient　to　enable　a　young　man　to　surpass　his　fellow…candidates。　Accordingly；　it　is　said　that　successive　years　show　on　the　whole　a　decline　of　attainments；　less　effort　being　made　because　the　results　of　former　examinations　have　proved　that　the　exertions　then　used　were　greater　than　would　have　been　sufficient　to　attain　the　object。　Partly　from　this　decrease　of　effort；　and　partly　because；　even　at　the　examinations　which　do　not　require　a　previous　nomination；　conscious　ignorance　reduces　the　number　of　competitors　to　a　mere　handful；　it　has　so　happened　that　though　there　have　always　been　a　few　instances　of　great　proficiency；　the　lower　part　of　the　list　of　successful　candidates　represents　but　a　very　moderate　amount　of　acquirement；　and　we　have　it　on　the　word　of　the　Commissioners　that　nearly　all　who　have　been　unsuccessful　have　owed　their　failure　to　ignorance　not　of　the　higher　branches　of　instruction；　but　of　its　very　humblest　elements…　spelling　and　arithmetic。　　　The　outcries　which　continue　to　be　made　against　these　examinations　by　some　of　the　organs　of　opinion；　are　often；　I　regret　to　say；　as　little　creditable　to　the　good　faith　as　to　the　good　sense　of　the　assailants。　They　proceed　partly　by　misrepresentation　of　the　kind　of　ignorance　which；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　actually　leads　to　failure　in　the　examinations。　They　quote　with　emphasis　the　most　recondite　questions*　which　can　be　shown　to　have　been　ever　asked；　and　make　it　appear　as　if　unexceptionable　answers　to　all　these　were　made　the　sine　qua　non　of　success。　Yet　it　has　been　repeated　to　satiety　that　such　questions　are　not　put　because　it　is　expected　of　every　one　that　he　should　answer　them；　but　in　order　that　whoever　is　able　to　do　so　may　have　the　means　of　proving　and　availing　himself　of　that　portion　of　his　knowledge。　It　is　not　as　a　ground　of　rejection；　but　as　an　additional　means　of　success；　that　this　opportunity　is　given。　We　are　then　asked　whether　the　kind　of　knowledge　supposed　in　this；　that；　or　the　other　question　is　calculated　to　be　of　any　use　to　the　candidate　after　he　has　attained　his　object。　People　differ　greatly　in　opinion　as　to　what　knowledge　is　useful。　There　are　persons　in　existence；　and　a　late　Foreign　Secretary　of　State　is　one　of　them；　who　think　English　spelling　a　useless　accomplishment　in　a　diplomatic　attache；　or　a　clerk　in　a　government　office。　About　one　thing　the　objectors　seem　to　be　unanimous；　that　general　mental　cultivation　is　not　useful　in　these　employments；　whatever　else　may　be　so。　If；　however　（as　I　presume　to　think）；　it　is　useful；　or　if　any　education　at　all　is　useful；　it　must　be　tested　by　the　tests　most　likely　to　show　whether　the　candidate　possesses　it　or　not。　To　ascertain　whether　he　has　been　well　educated；　he　must　be　interrogated　in　the　things　which　he　is　likely　to　know　if　he　has　been　well　educated；　even　though　not　directly　pertinent　to　the　work　to　which　he　is　to　be　appointed。　Will　those　who　object　to　his　being　questioned　in　classics　and　mathematics；　in　a　country　where　the　only　things　regularly　taught　are　classics　and　mathematics；　tell　us　what　they　would　have　him　questioned　in？　There　seems；　however；　to　be　equal　objection　to　examining　him　in　these；　and　to　examining　him　in　anything　but　these。　If　the　Commissioners…　anxious　to　open　a　door　of　admission　to　those　who　have　not　gone　through　the　routine　of　a　grammar　school；　or　who　make　up　for　the　smallness　of　their　knowledge　of　what　is　there　taught　by　greater　knowledge　of　somet