18th Aug. Is the House of Commons on the 3rd of July last, in a long discussion on the Foreign Office Vote, which was taken advantage of by every one who had a grievance which could be regarded in any light as connected with the administration of the Foreign Office, Mr. Legh called attention to the method employed in regard to the higher appointments in the diplomatic service. In whose interest Mr. Legh spoke we do not know, or whether he had any axe to grind at all, or was only delivering his soul in the interest of the diplomatic service generally; but he began by pointing out that "of the eight principal posts in the service—the eight embassies which were looked upon as the prizes of the profession—four had been held by gentlemen who previous to appointment had had no connection with the diplomatic service atoll, The last time he drew attention to the matter it was with regard to the appointment of Sir Mortimer Durand. Since they, however, an appointment of a much more remarkable character had been made, When an important appointment at Peking recently fell vacant there was considerable delay in filling it, and the explanation given was that the Prime Minister was waiting for a man of exceptional qualifications, who would be able to show the combined tact and firmness of his predecesser, Sir Nicholas O'Conor. To the astonishment of persons interested the appointment was bestowed upon a certain Major Sir Claude MacDonald, a gentleman of whom The Times remark-
Sir Claude MacDonald came within the category of experts. If a man was exceptionally well qualified, then, of course, there was nothing to be said against it; but this particular gentleman began his career as a soldier, was employed in some military capacity at Cairo, afterwards became Acting-Agent and Consul-General at Zanzibar, thence passed to the West Const of Africa in the capacity of a Commissioner, and at the time he received this important appointment he was fulfilling the duties of Consul in the Island of Fernando Po. This was hot a career generally supposed to lead to rapid advancement in the diplomatic service, and he submitted the Committee ought to have some defence of this appointment. 'I'rue, the grievance in question only affected a small number of persons; but when a gentleman with no appearance of special qualification was appointed ta such an important post, the natural ivfereuce was that the members of the diplomatic service proper were incompetent, and he could hardly believe that such an inference was intended. 'I'he other day he noticed that at a banquet the right hon. gentleman paid a glowing and eloquent tribute to members of the diplomatic service, and his right hon. friend would admit that, on the whole, their duties were discharged with zeal and intelligence. It was only right under these circumstances that men should be entitled to look to an adequate reward. Nothing could be passed, probably, the best years of his more disheartening to a man who had
ife amongst very uncongenial surround-ngs than to find when the moment arrived when he might legitimately expect to be transferred to a more agreeable and responsible post, that he was passed over in favour of some one who apparently had no claim whatsoever. 'I'his he could not so much complain of if there were any reciprocity in the matter, but, as a matter of fact, there was none. 'I'he members of the diplomatic service never get anything in return. He never heard of any such case except that of Lord Augustus Loftus, who was made a colonial Governor, and shortly afterwards became a bankrupt. (Laughter.) This system of pitchforking outsiders into the diplomatic service did not exist in any other branch of the public service. They might almost as well take a casual Jawyer and turn him into a general or admiral."
Mr. Legh was followed on the same side by Mr. C. Murray, who " wished to say nothing against the ability or amiability of the gentleman who had been appointed to Peking, but he saw nothing in his past career to justify his given away to outsiders. We can understand for instance, a man who has been three or four years Secretary of Legation at an important capital, has been part of the time Charge d' Affaires, and in that capacity has put through successfully an important transaction, feeling aggrieved at finding himself passed over when the post of Minister becomes vacant. But, after all, the Foreign Secretary wants at each capital the best agent he can get, the man in whom he has personal' confidence, and, as Mu Curzon pointed out in replying to Mr. Legh, it has never been the rule or the custom to reserve the highest posts for men who have grown up in the diplomatic service, Mr. Curzon instanced Lord Dufferin, "the most distinguished living representative of her Majesty in foreign parts," Mr. Goschen, and Sir Henry Wolff, and said that there were others he could name who, after having previously followed other walks in life, had been promoted to high posts in the diplomatic service. "As to the appointment of Sir Claude Macdonald to Peking, he would not say that the diplomatic service did not contain gentlemen who were qualified to fill that position, But the post at Peking was at present of a peculiar character, for which particular qualities were required; and Lord Salisbury, in filling the post, made a most careful examination of the qualifications of the various candidates, and decided that Sir Claude MacDonald best fulfilled the requirements, That gentleman's previous career had been by no means devoid of distinction. He was not only Consul at Fernando Po, but filled a responsible position as her Majesty's representative and Consul-General in the Niger Coast Protectorate. 'I'he fact was that his hon. friend had brought against the Secretary of State and the diplomatic profession a charge which might equally well be brought against any other branch of the Civil Service. These outside appointments occurred in the permanent Civil Service of the country; and the law which was laid down, and which must be followed by any Secretary of State, was that. for every vacant post a candidate from the service should, if possible, be selected but if a more capable candidate or one more likely to fulfil the duties of the office were found outside then he should be appointed."
We should hope that this official statement from Mr. Curzon, that Lord Salisbury, a statesman of whose capacity there is no question, made a most careful examination of the qualifications of the various candidates for the post of Minister at Peking, and decided that Sir Claude MacDonald best fulfilled the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.