Mr. STEWART. I am very much pleased with the decision of the ComFinance. It is the 1st light I have seen upon the Indian question during aresidence amen the Indians of 16 years. It is the 1st 0 nnge which I have seen proposed that has promised anything for the better. It is well known in the history of our country that up to 1848 the Indians were taken charge of by the War dept, and we had such men as General ar rison and General Jackson, and men of that character, to look after the Indians, and there was much less trouble and much less expense in the system than now, although there were a great many more Indians to be taken care of; and the management of Indian affairs was much more satisfactory to the country. The present new system seems always to have been a job, and a badly performed job. I do not mean by what I say to reflect upon any particular individual. ‘I disclaim any such purpose. I have the highest respect for the SecyInterior.‘ I do not desire this change on his account or on account of any particular individual. But I think it must be obvious to every one that the soldiers of the Army, with men of character at their head, generals who have the confidence of the country, particularly after our Army has been tested as it has been in the late struggle, have more at stake than obscure Indian agents who are collected together for political purposes, whom nobody knows, who are responsible to no one. The Army is much better organized, much better provided with all needful facilities for carrying on this business. Besides, you are compelled to incur about the same expense for the Arm now that you would be under the propose system. You mustkeeparmed forces in all these Territories and throu bout the entire region of the Indian country. on must keep an army there to whip the Indians as soon ast e traders shall have cheated them. That is the situation. The proposed change will not increase the expenses of the War Dept. It is the OPIDIOD of many eminent military men that they can carry on the whole business, manage all the Indian wars, and, not increase the expenses of the War Dept; so that we shall thus avoid the entire expense which the Indian dept new subject us to. several generals with whom I have coriversed say that if they had the whole charge of the matter, and the parties dealing with the Indians were responsible to them, such would be the result. Certainly, in so important a matter as this, that has created so much trouble and so much vexntion, I am extremely anxious that the system shall be under the control of men, in whom the country has confidence. The country has confidence in our military men; the Indians have confidence in them; but the country has no confidence in obscure Indian agents and Indian agents who are getting rich out of the Indian business. The proposed change cannot make things worse. We have tried the system of army supervision and found it to work better than the present one. While that system revailed we never had as much trouble with Indian affairs nor so much complaint of corruption and fraud as we have now. It is the testimony of every one who lived in those times and who is old enough to be familiar with them, with whom I have conversed, that While the business was in the hands of the “far Dept, although there were abuses then, there were fewer abuses than now; and then we had been a long time on a peace establishment, whereas now we have been recently in a war in which. our officers and soldiers have been tried. If there'is any employment growing out of this matter; if a larger number of soldiers are to be retained in the service; if there is any patron age or any advantage in increasing the Army, ive this service to the soldiers; do not take from them the legitimate business of the Army and give it to mere adventurers. If you go among the peeple who live near the Indians, and converse with them, you will find their testimony to be that these adventurers are not benefitin either the Indians or the community. Sir, this is the 1st time I ever heard it inti mated that Indian wars had been got up by the War Dept. I thought it was a well established fact that it was the Indian traders, who speculated with the Indians and ot into disputes about their contracts, that rought on most of our Indian difficulties. The Senfrom Wisconsin has spoken of one or 2 Indian wars, and has attributed them to some rash action of officers of the War Dept. such things may have occurred; but I would not place much reliance on the testimony of Indians when they came to make a treaty at a subsequent time and the soldiers could not be heard. I do not think that the evidence is that the War Dept has been instrumental in getting up these wars; I believe the testimony is the other way.