be made
sooner than March 1, 1892:

_It is therefore ordered_, That said Indian rules shall take effect
March 1, 1892, instead of October 1, 1891: _Provided_, That said rules
shall become operative and take effect in any district of the Indian
service as soon as an eligible register for such district shall be
provided, if it shall be prior to the date above fixed.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _October 13, 1891_.

Upon the recommendation of the Commission the foregoing order is
approved.

BENJ. HARRISON.

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL-SERVICE RULES.

NOVEMBER 24, 1891.

Special Departmental Rule No. 1 is hereby amended so as to include among
the places excepted from examination the following:

In the Department of the Treasury, in the Bureau of Statistics: One
confidential clerk to the Chief of the Bureau.

BENJ. HARRISON.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, December 4, 1891_.

SIR:[21] In my message to the first session of the Fifty-first Congress
I said:

I have suggested to the heads of the Executive Departments that they
consider whether a record might not be kept in each bureau of all those
elements that are covered by the terms "faithfulness" and "efficiency,"
and a rating made showing the relative merits of the clerks of each
class, this rating to be regarded as a test of merit in making
promotions.

In some of the Departments this suggestion has been acted upon in part
at least, and I now direct that in your Department a plan be at once
devised and put in operation for keeping an efficiency record of all
persons within the classified service, with a view to placing promotions
wholly upon the basis of merit.

It is intended to make provision for carrying into effect the
stipulations of the civil-service law in relation to promotions in
the classified service. To that end the rule requiring compulsory
examination has been rescinded. In my opinion the examination for
promotion of those who present themselves should be chiefly, if not
wholly, upon their knowledge of the work of the bureau or Department to
which they belong and the record of efficiency made by them during their
previous service. I think the records of efficiency kept from day to day
should be open to the inspection of the clerks.

Very respectfully, yours,

BENJ. HARRISON.

[Footnote 21: Addressed to the heads of the Executive Departments.]

THIRD ANNUAL MESSAGE.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _December 9, 1891_.

_To t