Editing Benjamin Disraeli (section)

====Civil Service====
[[File:Samuel Wilberforce by Mowbray of Oxford.jpg|thumb|upright|Disraeli's failure to appoint [[Samuel Wilberforce]] as [[Bishop of London]] may have cost him votes in the 1868 election.]]
Gladstone in 1870 had sponsored an [[Order in Council]], introducing [[competitive examination]] into [[Civil Service (United Kingdom)|the Civil Service]], diminishing the political aspects of government hiring. Disraeli did not agree, and while he did not seek to reverse the order, his actions often frustrated its intent. For example, Disraeli made political appointments to positions previously given to career civil servants. He was backed by his party, hungry for office and its emoluments after almost thirty years with only brief spells in government. Disraeli gave positions to hard-up Conservative leaders, even—to Gladstone's outrage—creating one office at £2,000 per year.<ref>Blake (1967), pp. 682–685</ref> Nevertheless, Disraeli made fewer peers (only 22, including one of Victoria's sons) than had Gladstone (37 during his just over five years in office).<ref>Blake (1967), p. 687</ref>

As he had in government posts, Disraeli rewarded old friends with clerical positions, making [[Sydney Turner]], son of a good friend of Isaac D'Israeli, [[Dean of Ripon]].<ref>Blake (1967), pp. 686–687</ref> He favoured [[Low church]] clergymen in promotion, disliking other movements in Anglicanism for political reasons. In this, he came into disagreement with the Queen, who out of loyalty to her late husband [[Albert, Prince Consort|Albert]] preferred [[Broad church]] teachings. One controversial appointment had occurred shortly before the [[1868 United Kingdom general election|1868 election]]. When the position of [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] fell vacant, Disraeli reluctantly agreed to the Queen's preferred candidate, [[Archibald Tait]], the [[Bishop of London]]. To fill Tait's vacant see, Disraeli was urged by many people to appoint [[Samuel Wilberforce]], the former [[Bishop of Winchester]]. Disraeli disliked Wilberforce and instead appointed [[John Jackson (bishop)|John Jackson]], the [[Bishop of Lincoln]]. Blake suggested that, on balance, these appointments cost Disraeli more votes than they gained him.<ref>Blake (1967), pp. 509–511</ref>