Circular N. 4291 of the Territorial Department Revenue from the Officiating Secretary to the Government at Bombay Castle, Charles Edward Fraser Tytler, to the Resident in the Persian Gulf [‎39r] (23/24)

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was requested strongly to impress on the 32. We could have desired your orders on the
Collectors the desirableness of their prevent- question to have been more definite. We very much
ing the good effect of dismissions wheref 11,1,1 ^.i r • ^ ^ • x ^1.
, . 1 t 1 ^ , • doubt whether the practice of introducing to the
necessary being lost by the vacancy being r 0
filled up by expectants who have followed higher grades of office Natives who have followed the
the European Officer from other parts of European Officer from other parts of the country is
the country in which he ha3 been pre- not jj ,. to ^ to otion from feeli of
viously employed. ^ 1 0
regard for an attached follower, rather than from the
comparative merits of the individual, whilst the advantage of local knowledge, which the
European necessarily wants, cannot in this case be possessed even by the Native; and we
are of opinion, whilst we would not actually prohibit such a course, that it ought to be
generally discouraged.
33. It appears to us that your order leaves the question of promotion in exactly the
same position as before, since it must always have been optional with the Collector to
recommend individuals for promotion on the ground either of seniority or merit.
34. Our decided opinion is that merit and superior fitness for the situation to which the
individual is to be appointed ought to be the ground of promotion. Length of service is,
of course, an essential element in the claims of any individual, and ought to decide the
preference in the case of equal fitness. We therefore desire that your Government should
devise a plan by which the head of each office might place on private record, for his own
guidance, but more especially for the use of his successor, his opinion of the character and
qualification of his principal Native officers.
Extract from the Government Resolution on the above Letter from the Honorable the
Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. .
Extracts of these paragraphs, and copy of the proceedings the Honorable Court are
reviewing, to be printed and sent to the heads of all departments, for guidance, and for
communication to their Assistants and Deputies. Their substance should also be rendered
in the Vernacular languages, and circulated amongst the Native establishments.
(True copies and extracts)
C. E. F. TYTLER,
Officiating Secretary to Government.