Mr. BANKS. Mr. Speaker, early in this session, in December or January last, I presented to the House an elaborate memorial from the friends of education in the district I represent, asking for the passage ofabill similar to that which has been reported by the special committee on a national Bureau of dueation. And did I not fear that the question might suffer from inadvertence on the part of some members of this House I would not trespass upon its attention for one moment. But I feel a doe interest in the success of this measure, as I think it most essential to the wrlalfare of the country that it should become a aw. I listened with great attention to the remarks of the Gentfrom NewJersey [Mr. Roo ms] the other day, who objected to the passage of this bill on the ground of the centralization of power in this city at the head of the Government. Did I think that objection well founded I would not urge upon members of this House to votein its favor. I do not desire unnecessarily to concentrate the power of the country here, for I have as little tfiasire for that as any member of this House, I am sure. But I think if the gentleman will look into the machinery of t to bill he will see that it is entirely free from any well grounded objections of that character. In the 1st place this bill provides only for the appointment of a Commissioner, and, as the gintleman who has just taken his seat [Mr. 0ULTON] said, 4 clerks, the expenses of which will be only $13,000 a car. There is no dangerous centralization of power in this. This bureau will have no executive influence; it has no color of executive power either here upon Congress or in the States, and therefore it is not amenable to that objection. Then what is this bureau to do? Simpl to collect information; nothing more thant at. It will be but an extension of the census of the people. It will be but a collection of information, not for the benefit of the Executive Depts, not directly for the benefit of the people of the States, but for the benefit of congress alone; because the information to be collected by this bureau is to be transmitted to Congress, and the only action to which it can lead is the action of Congress. Therefore the bill in that regard is not amenable to the objection of centralization; if it were I would not ress it. And I am sure that the Gentfrom NewJersey [Mr. Itoosas] will see when he analyzes the measures and features of this bill they are not objectionable in that respect. This bill is but temporary in its nature; it is not interwoven with the government of the country so far that it cannot be dispensed with at any moment. Every year an appropriation must be made for its continuance; and the failure of the appropriation will lead to the discontinuance of the bureau, withou any effect whatever upon the administration of the country. And in that respect it is unobjcctionable. Now, sir, I ask the attention of the House for a moment to the importance of this measureat this time. I am reluctant to refer to my own experience, but I think the importance of the bill justifies it. I have passe the greater part of the time for the past 4 or 5 years in the insurgent States. I have seen much of the elements of life that control opinions in that art of this count, and I am sorry to say that I have forme very strong convictions as to what is necessary in the reconstruction of the Government and the resto ration of that amity and comity of feeling which must exist between the people of the different States and the General Government in order to remote that Union we all so much desire. I’do not underestimate, I am sure, the importance of legislative measures, or constitutional amendments, or any action of Congress or the executive. dept of the Government in that respect; yct Lthink I am justified in say in that any or all of these measures are but initiatory; the do not complete the work of reform; they 0 not perform the duty of res torationr Those results must depend upon other elements of power, which may flow from but which are not embraced in the statutory‘or constitutional measures to which we have given so much consideration. The true source of power to which we must look for the ultimate restoration of perfect peace, the restoration of the Government in a form as perfect as before the war, in a more perfect orm, even, than it has before existed, 181110education of the people. Of course I do not mean to say that we must wait until the people shall be educated. On the contrary we must begin immediately iu this duty. But the completion of the work requires that education shal be considered as among the 1st and most important elements of this work. And could information be collected and s read before the country of the almost marve ous results of education in the last 3 or 4 ears in the insurgent States upon that class 0 people who most need the attention and protection of the Government, I am sure the house with almost entire unanimity would give its approval to any measure tending to that end. I believe, sir, and I wish to express my conviction as it really exists, that it is impossible so far to reform opinion, so far to change the basis of political society, as to secure a perfect restoration of the principles of our government without givin efficiency to this fundamental element 0 social, of public, and of individual power. I trust, sir, that in this view alone, whether gentlemen of the House have made up their minds to pass this measure or not, they will give it serious consideration, as a measure equally important, if not more important in its final results, than any which may rocced from the ComReconstruction, honorable and thorough and intelligentas that committee has been in the performance of its duties, and essentially necessary for the government as are the measures which that committee has reported.