44
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 28TH JANUARY, 1882.
MINUTE BY THE GOVERNOR.
His Excellency the Governor having had under his consideration the subject of the Civil Service Examinations in Ceylon, and finding it to be necessary to establish a higher standard of proficiency in Singhalese and Tamil, and in other respects to amend the existing regulations, has directed that the Minutes of March 3rd, 1863, December 20th, 1865, January 30th, 1868, and March 1st, 1875, and the Notice of July 1st, 1868, be cancelled, save in so far as they cancel previous Minutes, and that the following Minute be published in their stead :-
1. Every Cadet will be required, before he can receive a substantive appointment, to pass an examination in the subjects herein-after specified. If he pass at or before the examination occurring not later than 18 months from the date of his being attached to one of the Public Offices, his rank in the Service and claim to pension will count from the date of his appointment as Cadet. Otherwise, his claim to count his service will be deferred until he passes; and should be fail to pass within three years from his being attached, his pay will be withdrawn, and the Secretary of State will be recom- mended to cancel his appointment.
2. Gentlemen in the Civil Service will be required, before they can be promoted to the Third Class, to pass a second examination of the character herein-after described. The promotion from the Third Class will be deferred, in the case of gentlemen who fail to pass their second examination, within six years from the date of their being attached to one of the Public Offices, to that of those who shall have passed within that period, and have entered the Third Class before them.
3. The subjects of examination will be the native languages (Singhalese and Tamil), Law, and the System of Accounts employed in the Government Offices.
4. At their first examination Candidates will be examined in Singhalese or Tamil (whichever they may prefer), in Law, and in Accounts; at their second, in Law, Accounts, and both languages; and the examinations will be conducted after the following scheme :—
SINGHALESE.
In the first examination the Candidate is to write an English translation of two short Singhalese letters or reports from headmen, written in different running hands.
He is to translate a short English judgment or other official paper into Singhalese.
Dictate off-hand the translation into Singhalese of an English report or other official paper, to a native who shall take it down in writing.
Read and translate an extract from a Singhalese newspaper, and from the proceedings of a Gansabhawa case put into his hands for the first time.
Answer a few plain grammatical questions on declensions, conjugations, and compound words. Read, construe, and parse in English any easy sentences in Singhalese that may be set by the Examiner.
To be tested in conversation so as to satisfy the Examiner as to his power of understanding natives of different classes, and of making himself understood by them, both in common conversation and in the usual course of official business.
The second examination shall be similar in its nature to the first, but more difficult in degree. The Candidate will be required to act as an interpreter between the Examiner and natives perfectly ignorant of English; the interpretation to be on matters connected with some ordinary civil or criminal
case.
Candidates taking up Singhalese as their second language will only be tested by the lower standard.
TAMIL.
In the first examination the Candidate should have a knowledge of the leading principles of Tamil grammar, as regards the orthography and the etymology of the language.
He is to read, construe, and parse in English extracts selected from the "Thesavalamy," and the Kathásinthamani.”
Read and translate any easy Tamil book, as also a Tamil newspaper or a Tamil manuscript—such as a letter on any common subject, a report from a headman, or a bond or title deed.
Write in plain ordinary Tamil a letter or order to a native headman; the subject of such letter or order to be given by the Examiner.
Translate vivâ voce a short judgment, official letter, or report from English into Tamil, and dictate the translation to a native, who shall take it down in writing.
Converse in Tamil with tolerable ease and fluency on the ordinary topics of the day, and on such subjects as arise in connection with the discharge of public duties.