MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury will he explain why it is proposed to amend the rules of the Civil Service Commissioners, which provided that those who passed the Junior Civil Service Examinations could, when competing for other Civil Service examinations, deduct from their actual ago any time up to five years which they may have spent in the service, so that a junior can now only deduct one year when competing for an Excise assistant-ship; whether he is aware that this rule would operate hardly against persons who entered the service under the old rules; and whether he will take steps to exempt from the operations of the new rule the said persons.
§ MR. HANBURYThe principal reason for this change was that it is considered inexpedient in the interests of the public service that anyone should become an assistant of Excise at an ago exceeding twenty-three years. More than a year's notice of this change was given, as it will not come into force until July next; so that anyone interested has ample time to make his arrangements. There seems no reason for any further postponement of a desirable reform. No vested interest in the old regulations can be recognised.