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Show EDUCATION OF INDIANS. j Catholics VTam t'.io Contract School Ques- j lion Itoopeced. I Washing on. Dee. 9. Cardinal Gib- j bons, in behalf of himself and the j archbishops o: the Catholic church, in America, lias submitted a petition to j congress, asking-that the question of the contract school system to be reopened, re-opened, and that congress again go over the whole subject of Indian education. edu-cation. The petition sets forth at length the history of the Indian school question and the legislation applying-to applying-to it, up to the recent provisions in appropriation ap-propriation bills, looking to the gradual grad-ual discontinuance of government aid to sectarian sx-hools. The petition a l:s that P. congressional congres-sional inquiry be made in place of the departmental inquiries, in order that the merits and defects of contract schools and government schools may be shown, and "not kept as a secret of stale, concealed in the files of any de' partment or bureau." Representative Sherman, chairman of the house com mi He on Indian affairs, af-fairs, is in favor of granting the prayer that an investigation be made. lie is of the opinion that as the Catholic church has made large expenditures for Indian education in the erection of buildings, etc., it is fair that congress thould know the exact condition of shings. Mr. Sherman said today that he would probably take some action to brig abou t such an investigation, but not for some time j-et. |