Mr. WINDOM. Having shown how these boards are to be organized, I desire to call attention for a single moment to what their duties are, and to ask the candid consideration of this House as to whether, if such duties are faithfully performed, it will not correct the evils of the system? Under the 3rd section they are required to visit all of these tribes once every year; to examine into their condition; to hear the complaints of every one who may be in any way injured or aggrieved by our agents and officers; to examine the books of accounts, the manner of doing business of the superintendents and agents in their respective districts. They are not to go among them as mere inspectors to report to somebody else, but they are to be clothed with authority when they find anyone cheating or swindling to at once suspend or remove him from his office, and they are to ascertain this by the examination of witnesses to whom they are authorized to administer oaths. Now, sir, I believe that when these gentlemen, who are 1000miles from your capital among the savages on the plains, and who now feel that they are never to be super vised by anybody, remember that a commission such as this, clothed with powers such as these, composed of men selected as these will be, is to visit them once every year and inspect all their transactions, they will be very careful to give no cause of complaint. But how does the Gentfrom Ohio [Mr. Schexck] propose to prevent this difficulty? by simply turning over the Indians to the War Dept. A man may be dishonest now who is an Indian agent; but if, under the system of the Gentfrom Ohio, you put shoulder straps upon his shoulders, with stars or eagles, or even a couple of bars, he becomes entirely honest, and will not steal from an Indian. Now, we have had some experience in the last 4 years. I have as much faith as the gentleman in those who are engaged in the military service; but I have no faith that to put stars and bars on men's shoulders will make them more honest than they are now. But even if the gentleman's system should prevail, and Congress should propose to turn over this management of the Indians to the War Dept, we shall have the same necessity for the bill that we have today. I want to call the attention of the House to this point: whether the agents to whom the interests of these Indians are committed shall be under the control of the interior or the War Dept they will still need that super vision which this bill provides for them. We have treaties with a great many of these tribes; and whether it is the SecyInterior or the SecyWar who is to pay out the appropriations at the time they need them, it will be superintended by this commission just as much in the one case as in the other. It is proposed to provide in this bill for a sort of civil jurisdiction among the Indians, and the agent is authorized to exercise the power of a court commissioner to the extent that our civil laws may be practically extended over them. There will be somebody to execute these laws when we have thus given to the agent among the Indians the power to punish them, and send a commission every year to inquire into his action. ask the House if it is not worth while to t this remedy and see if the great evils which now exist in our Indian dept cannot be removed. Now, as I have often said here, I know that in any matter that is Presented in ref. erence to the Indians, there are those who sus . there is steal in it somewhere. And I o not wonder, for the system of managing our Indian affairs has been a bad one and productive of much evil. I ask every gentleman who believes that there are those evils to give this measure a fair and honest trial. I will not take up further time, but will yield to the Gentfrom Ohio, [Mr. SchENck]