Grover Cleveland: “I can not see that anything is gained by this legislation.”

I transmit a report from the Secretary of State, submitting a list of the claims filed in the Department of State by citizens of the United States against Spain.

This requirement proceeds upon the assumption that the foreign relatives coming here are in every case, by reason of poverty, liable to become a public charge unless the immigrant is capable of their support.

The time is quite within recent memory when the same thing was said of immigrants who, with their descendants, are now numbered among our best citizens.

Rule VI of the civil-service rules is hereby amended by adding to the exceptions from examination in the departmental service a new clause, to read as follows:(d) Assistant Secretary Smithsonian Institution, in charge of United States…