Savannah morning news., 1886-05-09
PENSION BILLS VETOED.
CONGRESSIONAL lNTERFER-
ENCE NOT WISE.

WASHINGTON, May s. The President
to-dav sent to the House of Representa-
tiyes two veto messages. The first is as
follows:
To THE House or REPRE5 5ENrATGVEs
i return without my approval House
hill No. 147, entitled IAN act increasing
the pension of Andrew j. iHill" This
hill doubles the pension which the person
named therein has been receiving for a
number of years. 1t appears from the re-
mort of the committee to which the bill
was referred that the claim made by him
for increased pension has been lately re-
iected by the Pension Bureau, on the
ground that the claimant is now receiv-
ing pension commensurate with the de-
gree OF disability found to exist.
BAD POLICY.
The policy of frequently reversing by
special enactment decisions of the bureau
invested by law with the examination 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 question.
able. 1t may well be doubted if a CON-
mittee of Congress has 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, lt should be supplied.
If the system adopted is inadequate to do
full justice to claimants it should be cor
rected, and if there is want OF sympathy
and consideration for the defenders of our
government the bureau should be reor.
ganlzed.
INCLINATION TO GENEROSITY.
The disposition to concede most gener-
GUS treatment to the disabled. aged and
needy among our veterans should not be
restrained, and it must be admitted that
in some cases justice ana equity cannot
he attained without charitable tenden-
cies OF the government in favor of worthy
Bbjects OF its care, INDUCED under fixed
rules. These conditions sometimes JUS
hfy resort to special legislation, but
am convinced that interpOsitiOn
Dy special enactment in granting
pensions should be rare and exceptional.
Ia the nature of things, if this is lightly
done and upon slight occasion an invita-.
JiOn is offered to the passage of claims by
4 Congress which upon their merits could
not survive the test of an examination by
The Pension Bureau, and whose only hOps
Of success depends more upon sympathy,
s often misdirected, than upon right and
& Justice.
DIsCREDITING THE LAW.
The heinstrumentality devised by law for
the determination of pension claims Is
n thus Overruled and discTedited, aud there
4 s danger in the end that popular preju-
a dice will be created against those who are
worthy and entitled to the bounty of the
4 government. There have lately been pre-
sented to me on the same day for approval
nearly 240 special bills granting and in
creasing pensions, and restoring to the
pension list the names OF parties which
s for cause have been dropped. To aid Ex-
ecutive duty they were referred to the
Pension Bureau for examination and re-
port. After the delay absolutely necessary
Z they have been returned to me within a
few hours Of the limit constitutiOnally
i provided for Executive action.
THEIR CLASSIFICATION.
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 insuthciency of testimony filed to prove
the facts alleged. These bills 1 have ap-
proved on the assumption that the claims
were meritOrIOus, and that on the pas
sage Of the bills the government has
waived full proof OF the facts. Twenty
SIX OF the bills covered claims rejected by
the Pension Bureau because the evil
dence produced tended to prove that al
legged disability existed before the claim
ants enlistment. Tweuty-One cover
claims which have been denied bv such
bureau because the evidence tended to
show that the disability though con-
tracted in service was not incurred in the
4 line Of duty.
ORIGINATED AFTER DISCHARGE.
+ Thirty three cover claims which have
been denied because the evidences tended
10 show that the disability originated
after the soldiers dschage from the
army. Forty-seyen cover claims which
nave been denied because the general
pension laws contain no provision under
which they could be allowed, and twenty
l0ur claims have never been presented TO
The Pension Bureau. / estimate the ex-
penditure involved in the bills at more
than$35,OO0 annually. Though my con-
ceptlon OF public duty leads me to the
conclusion, upon the Slight examination
which l have been able to give such of
nose bills as are not embraced in the
nrstclass above mentioned, that many Of
lnem should be disappr0ved | am utterly
unable to submit within the time allow
me lOf that purpose any objections to the
same.
BECOME OPERATIVE.
lhey will, therefore, become operative
without my approval. Sufficient reason
lor the return Of the particular bill now
tnat II provides that the name of Andrew
., mn be placed on the pension roll,
while the records Of the Pension Bureau,
as we'll as the medical certificate made
part OF the report. disclose the fact that
Hill. GRoVER CrEvrtANn.
E1ecuttre Mansion, Nay 9, 1856.
lhe second veto assigned as reason
mat The general law already gave 10 tho
willow named IN the vetoed pit the same
"hount OF pension named IN the special
ghaetment, and the only effect OF the bill
would be to the widows disadvantage.
CLEvELANDs CAREFULNEss.
me course Of the President IN attempt
,uE careful scrutiny OF the private
lsusion bills passed by Congress this ses.
sloh' is characteristic OF his methods OF
Gpusidering the LEGISLATION presented 70
I'm oy Congress, He examines every act
"lln scrupulous care. His predeces-
ssoIs IN office were apt to con-
Lue their personal attention TO
.gslslation which, for one reason or
ppo,otner, they regarded as important.
ut ne regards all legislation as sufi-
olehtly important 70 command his per-
soual care; hence be has been devoting
SS.uch much time as possible 10 the several
to uured private pension acts sent
~ hlm recently by Congress.
~, ~ has examined every case critically A.,
caasn all the records from tho Pension
NHce relating TO il before him. AB a re.