Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Chester A. Arthur on 1884-04-23, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Executive Order." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.
Constitutional Assessment: This action represents an orderly exercise of Article II administrative discretion, managing the internal machinery and personnel of the executive branch without abridging the ancient liberties of the people.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪In the exercise of the power vested in the President by the Constitution and by virtue of the seventeen hundred and fifty-third section of the Revised Statutes and of the civil-service act approved January 16, 1883, the following rules for the regulation and improvement of the executive civil service are amended as stated below, and are hereby promulgated: 1.
▪Rule XI is amended by adding thereto a second clause, as follows: 2.
▪Rule XXI, as printed in said report, is amended by substituting for the first two lines and the third line down to the word "rules" therein the following words: No person, unless excepted under Rule XIX, shall be admitted into the classified Civil service from any place not within said service without an examination and certification under the rules.
Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted
🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises
🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants
🏛️ Public Health & Medical Institutions
Total Words
312
1,858 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
21.1
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜
Scholarly & Legal Citations
Exec. Order, "Executive Order," Chester A. Arthur (Apr 23, 1884). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-307.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
In the exercise of the power vested in the President by the Constitution and by virtue of the seventeen hundred and fifty-third section of the Revised Statutes and of the civil-service act approved January 16, 1883, the following rules for the regulation and improvement of the executive civil service are amended as stated below, and are hereby promulgated: 1. Rule XI is amended by adding thereto a second clause, as follows: 2. The Commission may by regulations, subject to change at any time by the President, declare the kind and measure of ill health, physical incapacity, misrepresentation, and bad faith which may properly exclude any person from the right of examination, grading, or certification under these rules. It may also provide for medical certificates of physical capacity in the proper cases, and for the appropriate certification of persons so defective in sight, speech, hearing, or otherwise as to be apparently disqualified for some of the duties of the part of the service which they seek to enter. 2. The second clause of Rule XII is amended by substituting for the first line and the second line thereof down to the word" age" therein (as printed in the annual report of the Commission) the following words: No one shall be entitled to be examined for admission to the classified postal service if under 16 or over 35 years of age, excepting messengers, stampers, and other junior assistants, who must not be under 14 years of age. 3. Rule XXI, as printed in said report, is amended by substituting for the first two lines and the third line down to the word "rules" therein the following words: No person, unless excepted under Rule XIX, shall be admitted into the classified Civil service from any place not within said service without an examination and certification under the rules. Approved, April 23, 1884. CHESTER A. ARTHUR