Mr. DOOLITTLE. I think I ought to say a single word after what has been read by’ my honorable friendfrom Ohio from the statement of the Cherokees. I understand the fact to be that when the military officers were about to retire from Fort Gibson when we had got through with the use of them there, they had large supplies on hand and as they proposed to retire they were ready to turn over the supplies they had on hand to the Indian dept; but the Dept here knew nothing of that until the 3d of September, when the ComrIndAff himself in person was at this place pending the preliminary negotiations of some treaties, and immediately the amount of flour which was there on hand held by the War Dept was accepted by the ComrIndAff on behalf of the Indian dept accepted upon the terms agreed upon, which are not correctly stated in the paper from which the Senator has read. As I am informed, the amount agreed upon was the cost of the flour with the transportation added, which amounted to about $9 50 per 100; but the flour itself, some of it, proved to be very bad; it was wormy and sour. It is but justice to Mr. Sells to state (because the Indian Committee had occasion to look into that matter) that the contract which he entered into as superintendent was a contract for a very small supply, which be deemed necessary to take with uni in goin down to the Indian country to feed them, as it was supposed, to prevent them from actual suffering. gubsequently the regular contract, which was entere into afterward, was made in open mar ket upon advertisement and bids received just as all contracts are made in behalf of the Army as well as in behalf of the Indian dept. I deem it bntjust to make this statement. I do not say that my mind has been entirely satisfied in reference to the administration of Indian affairs in that country, because there have been undoubtedly some abuses there, as abuses ow up eve where where the expenditure 0 money in arge amounts is made. Contractors make contracts for the pnr ose of making money out of the Government beyond all question. If a steamboat is hired to transport goods or men or anything, the contractor seeks to make money out of the contract. I happen to have in my hand (and it comes in here by way of comparison as between the Indian Bureau and the War Dept on the score of economy) a letter just received from Fort Sully from the special Indian commissioner sent to make treaties with the Sioux Indians. Writing to the ComrIndAff, he says: “ We have held consultations with the 9 tribes with whom we made treaties last fall. We find they have suffered much during the past hard winter; some of them have actually starved to death, but notwithstanding which they have been very quiet and observed their treaty stipulations which certainly faithfully, 4 is doinir better than white men would have done under the same circumstances. Spoonniices of tWheetfroibuens were uorbaligrreivdatloaktill and eat their this place”c, 4 And to this I wish to call the attention of my honorablo friendfrom Ohio, when comparing the economy of war espouses with ndian expenses“We found on our arrival at this placesix steam boatsengagedby the military commandant of this upper country to translportsoldiers, military stores, horses, and mules to enton. Tire prices that he pays per dayforsteainers vary fromwOOto. Now comparethat with the price we pay for our boat."This is a boat in the service of the Interior Dept'“n new boat, tpv KL’AO japnedrhaps you will con:Illilid'c that we did not drive so had a bargain after This is the reply of the special commissioner to the ComrIndAff, who, learning that he had chartered a boat at this sum, was writing to him questioning the ro priety of being at such an expense; an by way of answer, to justify himself, he asked the ComrIndAff to compare the price he was aying with what the commandant of the im itary forces there wasing for 6 boats, from 500 to 6130 dollars a day each. There is just this precise difference, when you come to compare any other Dept of the government with the War Dept on the score of economy: anything done by the military is all right; it comes out of the great fund of the commissary dept and the quartermas ter’s dept, and we know nothing about it; but everything done in the Indian dept requires a special appropriation, into which we 00k; and if there is a good contract made against the Government we see it. That, I th' k, is the great difference is thin further I desire to say. When the Indian ureau was under the War Dept we still had our civilian appointments, superintendents and agents, as we have them now; but the next amendment which is proposed by the committee strikes them all out and substitutes officers of the Army to do the duties of sufferintendents and agents.