Mr. DOOLITTLE. It is left to the SecyWar; and of course, therefore, it au, thorizes the dispensing with all the civil officers connected with the Indian service an the substitution of officers of the Army. low, Mr. President, I believe that the great difficulty in our Indian s 'stem grows out of the too fre nent changes in the men who deal with the In ians in behalf of the Government of the U.S. The changing of agents and superin tendents is a very great evil; but the changes of the military officers that come into contact with them are still more frequent. They are changed, it may be, from mouth to month. Here is a lieutenant in command of a company today in the presence of an Indian tribe at a post. Tomorrow, perhaps, he with that company is ordered to another post and a new company is ordered in. They are constantly, continually changing. Iadmitthata man of great good sense in the command of a military post in the presence of Indian tribes, if he were there and to remain there for a considerable length of time, might obtain the confidence of the Indians, reserve the peace between the Indians and the whites and peace among themselves. That has been done; and in the ndian country where troops have to be employed, when a sagacious, prudent officer is in command of them, I have no doubt that affairs are administered well; and so, too, when there is a good agent employed and put in contact with the Indian tribes, their affairs are well administered. It must not be forgotten that thereis just as much variety among the various Indian tribes as can possibly be ima ned. There are all shades of difference. There is as much difference between the Cherokees, Choctaws and Chickasaws of the Indian country, and the Nez Perces of Oregon and the Indians of the plains and the Digger Indians of California, as can possibly be conceived. They are very distinct from each other. There is as much and more difference between themasthereisbetween the wild Apaches of NewMexico and the Pue blos of NewMexico, and there is just as much difference between wolves and sheep as there is between these tribes of Indians. The Pue blos have lived and live now just where they were found when the Spaniards 1st discovered this continent, living in their villages, at peace with the surroundin tribes, while the Apache is still the same will nomad that he was when the Spaniards 1st discovered the country, although they live in immediate proximit to each otgher. For this reason it requires In ian agents of judgment and experience. I grant that from our changing our agents from time to time, we erha s do not administer Indian affairs as we las they are administered in the British Provinces. The great difference is this: in the British Provinces an Indian agent is appointed substantially for life; he oes to his tribe, takes charge of its affairs, an after having served faithfully 20 or 25 years he is pensioned for the remainder of his life. But with us changes are frequent; they are made oftentimes for political reasons or for political services that have been rendered, and that is the difficulty in the system, I admit. You will not, however, avoid these difficulties by changing the bureau from the Interiorto the War Dept, because agents and superin tendents will still be appointed, and the danger is that they may be changed from time to time hereafter as they have been heretofore. I hope we may enter upon a better policy in this respect; that if we find a good, faithful, Indian agent or superintendent we may continue him in the office from term to term and make it his life’s business, his profession, his ambition.