Mr. WINDOM. Mr. Speaker, regarding this as the most important bill with reference to our Indian affairs that has been introduced since I have been in Congress, and as better calculated to remedy existing evils than any other, I desire to state very briefly what it is and how it comes before the House. In 1865 a commission was appointed for the purpose of making an investigation into our dian affairs. That commission traveled over a large part of the Indian country and gathered vast amount of information in reference to this subject. They heard the complaints of Indian chiefs and of all others who were aggrieved in any way in Indian matters. They investigated numerous charges of fraud, and sought as the result of their labors to devise some way of preventing a recurrence of the evils complained of. In order to do this the committee have reported the bill now before the House. Its purpose is to provide boards of inspection of high character, who shall visit the Indian tribes once every year for the purpose of correcting any evils which may exist among them. I have yielded the floor to the Gentfrom Ohio [Mr. Schexck] to submit an?mendment to the bill, not because I favor the amendment, but because I desire the gentleman may have an opportunity fairly to test the question before the House. He endeavors by this amendment to place the management of Indian affairs under the entire control of the War Dept, and insists if it shall be adopted there will be no necessity for the bill under consideration. This bill, which I had the honor to introduce from the ComIndAffrs yester terday, received the unanimous sanction of the joint select committee to which I referred a moment since. I believe it had also the unan imous recommendation of the ComIndAffrs in the Senate, and that it passed the Senate by a large majority. The ComIndAffrs in this House have given it a thorough examination and are almost unanimously in favor of its passage. So it has received the sanction of one select committee, the sanction of the committee in the Senate, and the sanction of a very large majority of the Indian Committee inehe House. Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, the purpose is to provide 5 boards of inspection, who shall be clothed with the power to super vise and inspect the entire Indian system. They are to be appointed in such way as the committee feem will most surely secure the selection of the best men that can be found. The difficulty with our Indian system now is not perhaps so much in the system itself as in the fact that the best men are not always selected to execute it. Agents are sent 1000miles into the interior among the Rocky mountains and the vast plains of the West. They feel they are beyond the reach of civilization almost; that nobody will be sent to investigate their conduct, and in too many instances I am aware they unlawfully make money out of their position. The object of this bill is to send a commission clothed with full power to investigate their transactions and to suspend or remove them from office if necessary. It is a commission to be composed of the best men that can be found, and who sholl have full authority to examine their books and everything appertaining to their official conduct. This commission is to be appointed in the following manner: one commissioner selected at large from the mass of the people by the POTUS; another from such persons as may be recommended by several religious denominations of the country at their annual conferences. The 3rd is to be detailed from the Army. It will scarcely be doubted by the Gentfrom Ohio, who wishes to place the whole bureau undes the War Dept, that the Secretary of l War appoint, an honest and competent man. the ave will have a guaranteethat at least one member of the board will be a gentleman of high character. Can it be believed, Mr. Speaker, that the religious denominations of the country at their annual conferences will select any other than the best men for this duty?