12
admits of at least as much carefulness as does Patronage in testing a man's qualifications in these respects.
The next point is, what should be the extent of, or restriction upon, competition, with reference to the number of competitors? There appears to be a choice between three courses, viz. either (1) the Government might nominate a certain number to compete, or (2) there might be "open competition," so that every one who wished might compete, or (3) there might be some other mode of a regulated nomination of candidates to compete. The adoption of either of these courses would, no doubt, supply a stimulus to education, and "open competition" would probably prove the most powerful attraction of all; but for various reasons my own inclination is in favour of a plan which would combine the features of both competition and nomination. Without saying that open competition is not perfectly applicable, it may nevertheless be advisable, especially with reference to the class of officers now under consideration, that the first alteration in the present system should be of a less thorough character, and such as might afterwards be treated either as a step towards, or a substitute for, open competition, just as experience should recommend. It certainly also appears to me that the plan of nomination might be made of essential use in providing satisfactory guarantees of the character of competitors. If the nominators of candidates were such as could speak of them from the results of a personal, rather than a mere political acquaintance, and especially if this personal knowledge had been acquired in the discharge of semi-public functions rather than from the circumstance of private relationship or friendship, we should have not merely a much better security than we have at present, but also about the best security attainable, that such as might be admitted into the public service could be persons of unexceptionable character and conduct.
To whom, then—if competitions such as those suggested were established—should the privilege be granted of selecting
