says that this would be useless, as the courts havo repeatedly de- cided that an Indian tribe canuot sue the United States. Unfort unately, Ir. Sehurz does not cite these cases, but we must take it for granted that he knows what he is talking about. Ile adds that he has taken the advicc of lawyers, who coincide with hiu in this opinion. As a suit cannot be brought at all, according to the Secretary and his legal advisers, it would be idlo to collect moncy for this purpose; and the Sccretary suggests that, if tie disinterested friends of the Indians had consultcd lawyers before they began their work, they would bo of his opinion as to the fu tility of the attempt. This, of course, leaves the impression that the Secretary wilhholds his approval of the movement to secure legal rights for the Poncas, though he docs not say so in express terms. ilis rcason for not approving the attompt is that it will do no good. His solution to the Indian problem, as it is vagucly called, is to settle the Indians in sereralty, breaking up their tri bal organization, and giving to each individual his lands in fee- simple. This, the Secretary thinks, will enable them to hold their lands by the same title as that by which white men hold theirs, and, ns a matter of conrse, they will have the same standing in the courts' as white men. It is to be regretted that the Secretary did not pause here long enough to show lhow the giving to an Indian of 160 acres of land can clothe him with civil rights which he does not now possess, and which the Secretary thinks that the courts cannot give him. For this reason, however, Mr. Schurz is greatly in favor of legislation providing for the settlement of the Indians in severalty, various bills to accomplish which, he says, are in preparation. As for the money raised already, the Secre tary suggests that since, in his opinion, it would be misspent in obtaining judicial decision, it might be used in the education of Indian children

"Replying to this, Mrs. Jackson asks if the Secretary would be in favor of the Poncas recovering their lands by procoss of law, provided that could be done inquiry we regret to notice that the Secretary finds himsclf unable to reply, although, in a letter immediately following tlis, he does say that if an Indian tribe could maintain an action at law in the courts to assert its rights, he would no more object to it than he would to a white man's doing the same thing. As to the sug- gestion that tho money collected for the expenses of legal pro ceedings be used for cducational purposes, Mrs. Jackson asks the Secretary how it would be possible to take money given for one To this direct and vory important