The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-09

WASHINGTON, May o.-1uc L1eSANFh1
to-day sent to the House of Represent
atiyes two veto messages. The first is
as follows:
To the House of Representatives.:
return without approval your bill
No. I47. entitled AN Act Increasing
the Pension of Andrew J. HILL ms
hill doubles the pension which the per-
son named therein has been receiving
for a number of years. 1t appears
from the report of the committee 10
which the bill was referred that the
claim made by him for an increase OF
pension has been lately rejected by the
Pension Bureau on the ground that the
claimant is now receiving a pension
Commensurate with the degree of dlsa-
bilitv found to exist. The policy OF
fredaently reversing, by special
amendment, the decisions OF the
Bureau invested by law with
the examination OF the pension claims
fully equipped for such examination,
and which ought not to be suspected OF
auy lack OF liberality to our veteran
soldiers is exceedingly questionable. 1t
NAV well be doubted If the committee
of Congress has better opportunity
than such an agency to be judge OF the
merits of this claim. If, however, there
is any lack of power in the Pension
Bureau for full investigation, 1T should
be supplied. If the system adop is
inadequate to do full justice re
claimants, it should be corrected s2I,,- If
then, in want of sympathy and aos ID
Grafton for the defenders of our Iss!Ss,rn-
ment. the Bureau should be reorgan
lied. the disposition to concede the
most generous treatment to the disabled
aged and needy among our veterans
should not be restrained, and it must
be admitted that in some cases justice
and equity cannot be attained without
charitable tendencies of the government
in favor of the worthy objects of its
care INDUCED under fixed rules. These
conditions sometimes justify a resort
to special legislation, but 1 am con-
WINGED that the interposition by special
enactment in the granting OF pensions
should be rare and exceptional In the
nature of things if this is lightly done
and upon slight occasion, an invitation
is offered TO the passage of claims by
Congress which upon their merits could
not survive the test of an examination
by the Pension Bureau, and whose only
hope of success depends more upon
sympathy often instructed than upon
right and justice. The instrumentallty
of the pension claims is thus oYerrHled
that in the end popular prejudice Will
be created against those who are worthy
and entitled to the bounty of govern
ment. There have lately been presented
to me on the same day for approval.
nearly go special bills granting and in
creasing pensions and restoring 10 the
pension list the names of parties, which,
Tor cause, have been dropped. To
sd in executing this duty, they were
Eferred to the Pension Bureau for ex-
animation and report. After a delay
absolutely necessary they have been
returned 10 me within few hours OF
the limit constitutionally provided
for Executive action. Two hundred
and thirty two of these bills are thus
classified: Eighty-one cover cases in
which favorable action by the Pension
Bureau was denied By reason of the in
sufficiency of the testimony filed to
prove the facts alleged. These bills
have been approved on the assumption
that the claims were meritorious and
in the passage of the bills, government
has waived full proofs of the facts.
Twenty six of the bills cover claims re-
jected BY the Pension Bureau, because
the evidence produced tended to prove
that the alleged disability existed be-
fore the claimants enlisted. TWenty-one
cover the claims which have been de-
MED by such bureau because the evil
dence tended to show that the disability.
though contracted in the service was
not incurred IN the line of duty. Thirty
three cover claims which have been
denied because the evidence tended to
show that the disability originated after
the soldiers were discharged from the
army. Forty-seven cover claims which
have been denied because the general
- tnsw n
der which they could be allowed, and
tEenty-four claims have never been
presected to the Pension Bureau. |
estimated the expenditure involved in
the bills at more than SIS, 900 annually;
though my conception of public duty
leads me to the conclusion upon
the slight examination which l have
been able to give to such of these bills
as are not embrased in the frst-class,
above mentioned, that many of them
should be disspproved, am utterly un-
able 10 submit, within the time allowed
me Tor that purpose. any objections to
the same. They will, therefore, become
operative without my approval. A
sufficient reason for the return of the
particular bill now under consideration
IS found in the fact that it provides that
the name of Andrew J. Hill be placed
on the pension bill, while the records of
the Pension Bureau, as well as the
medical certificate made a part of the
report disclose the fact that the name of
the beneficiary is Alfred J. HILL.
lSignedl, GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, May s.
bws:
| herewith return. without approval,
ebiii, No. 3,0l9. entitled IAN act 10 in
Stesse the pensions of Abigail Smith"
Ehich bill originated in tbe House of
representatives. This proposed legis-
-shon does injustice to a very worthy
Peasioner, who was on the pension roll
- the time of the passage of the law
inch took effect on the 18th day of
,4reh last by virtue OF which all pen
sons OF her class were increased from