Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-05-13
VETOED.
The President tetoes Couple OF Privats
Pension Bills,

The President vetoes a Couple OF Privats
Pension Bills.
WASHINGTON. May i0.-The President
has signed eighty-one out of 240 private
pension bills and without one exception has
allowed the others to become laws without
signature He vetoed two, and sent
message to the House of Representatives
giving his views On the general question of
legislation Oh private bills. The first mes.
sage was as follows:
To tie House of Representatives.
return, without thy approval, House bill
Andrew j. Hill" This bill doubles the PEN
SION which the person named therein has
been receiving Tor number of years. 1t APP
pears from the report of the committee t1
which the bill was referred that the claim
meue by him for increased pension had been
lately rejected by the Pension Bureau on the
ground that the claimant is now receiving 4
Pen,i0n commensurate with the degree OF
disability found to exist.
The policy OF Frequently reversing by
special amendment the decisions of the
bureau Invested by law with the examine
tons of pension claims fully equipped for
such examination and which ought not to be
suspected of any lack of liberality to our
veteran soldiers is exceedingly questionable.
IL may well be doubted il q committee OF
Congress has q better opportunity than such
agency to judge of the merits of this claim.
If, however, there is any lack of power in
the Pension Bureau for full investigation
10 ADEQUATE to do full justice to claimants it
should be corrected and if there is a want Of
sympathy and consideration for the defend.
reOrganiked.
The disposition to concede most generous
treatment to the disabled, aged and needy
strained, and it must be admitted that in
some cases justice and equity can not be at
tanned without the charitable tendencies OF
the Government in favor of worthy objects
oil it's care INDUCED under fixed rules. These
conditions sometimes justify resort to spe-
cial legislation, but am convinced the inter-
position by special enactment iii the granting
OF pensions should be exceptional. In the
nature OF things, if this is lightly done and
Upon slight occasion, an invitation is offered
Tor 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 de.
ponds more upon sympathy, often mis-.
directed, than right and justice. The instru.
mentality devised by law for the determine
ton Of pension claims is thus overrued and
discredited, and there is danger that in the
end popular prejudice will be created against
those who are worthy and entitled to the
bounty of the Government
There have lately been presented to me on
the same day for approval nearly 24O special
bills, granting and increasing pensions and
restoring to the pension list the names of
parties which, for cause, have been dropped,
TO aid executive duty they were referred to
the Pension Bureau for examination and re-
port. AfterG delay absolutely necessary,
they have been returned to me within few
hours. OF the limit consttutionaiy pro.
vided for the executive action. Two hundred
and thirty-two Of these bills are thus CLASH
fled that cover cases in which favorable &C.
ton by the Pension Bureau was denied by
REASON Of the insuffency of the testimony
filed to prove the facts alleged. These bills 1
have approved on the assumption that the
claims were meritOriOus and that on the pas
sage of the bills the Government has waved
full proof 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
the alleged disability existed before the
claimants enlistments'. Twenty-One cover
claims which have been denied bv such bu-
reau because the evidence 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 orig mated after the sol.
d.er's discharge from the army; fOrty-seven
cover claims which have been denied because
the general pension laws contain no provis-
ion under which they could be allowed, and
twenty-four claims have never been pre-
sented to the Pension Bureau. l esti-
mate the expend ture involved in the bills
at more than S35.cO0 annually. Though
my conception of public duty leads me to the
conclusion upon the slight examination
which have been able to give to such OF
these DIS as ure not embraced IN the nrSt
class above ment oned that many of them
should be disapproved. am utterly unable
to submit within the time allowed me for
that purpose my objections to the same.
They will, therefore, become operative with.
out my approval.
A sufficient reason for the return O! the
particular bill now under consideration is
found in the fact that it provides that tho
name Of Andrew j. Hill be placed on the
pension roll. while the records of the Pension
Bureau. as well as the medical certificate
made part of the report, disclose the fact
that the beneficiary is Alfred j. Hill.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
THE SECOND VETO.
The second veto message is as follows:
l herewith return without approval bill
numbered 319, entitled IAN act to increase
the pension of Abigail Smith. which bill orig.
mated in the House of Representatives. This
proposed legislation does injustice to a very
worthy pensioner who was on the pension
roll at the time of tho passage of the law,
which took effect March - last and by virtue
of which all pensions of her class were in
creased from s. to Sl2 per month. Under
this law she became entitled to her increased
pension from the date of its passage. The
bill now returned allows her the same
amount. but if it becomes a law, l suppose it
would support her claim under the previous
statute and postpone the receipt by her of
the increase to date of passage of the new
law. She would thus lose for nearly two
months the increase of pension already
secured to her.