Grover Cleveland

It is the rule to make only such allowances in any year as can be paid from the appropriation made for that period.

The allowances to the Lawrence post-office for the year ending June 30, 1883, was $3,100.

It is conceded that he committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol.

Surely no one will seriously propose that a claim for pension should rest upon a conjecture as to what would have caused death if it had not occurred in an entirely different way.

I transmit herewith a report in relation thereto from the Secretary of State.

I retransmit herewith a convention for the surrender of criminals between the United States and the Republic of Guatemala.

As long as there is the least pretense of limiting the bestowal of pensions to disability or death in some way related to the incidents of military and naval service, claims of this description can not consistently be allowed.

I return without approval House bill No. 19.

I can see no fairness or justice to the Government in such a proposition.

The temptation to relieve from contracts with the Government upon plausible application is, in my opinion, not sufficiently resisted.

A second law for the same purpose is of course unnecessary.

I return without approval Senate bill No. 465, entitled 'An act granting a pension to William Sackman, sr.'

I return without approval Senate bill No. 838, entitled 'An act granting a pension to Mary Sullivan.'

The application for pension is fraudulent and should not be allowed.

The entire complexion of this case satisfies me that the claimant contracted no pensionable disability during his one hundred days of service.

I can not believe upon the facts presented that an injury of the character alleged could have been sustained in the service and still permitted the performance of all the duties of wagon master for months thereafter, remaining undeveloped…

I believe the rejection of this claim was right and just upon its merits.

When with this it is considered that eighteen years elapsed between the date of the alleged injury and the soldier's application for pension, I am satisfied that no injustice will be done if the disposition made of this case by the Pension…

It is hardly possible that an injury of this kind, producing the consequences which it is alleged followed its infliction, could have been sustained by this soldier and not in the least interrupted the performance of his military service.

The second enactment is of course entirely useless, and was evidently passed by mistake.

I am convinced such action was entirely justified.

The evidence thus secured seemed to establish the fact that the claimant's eyes were sore for many years before enlistment.

I return without approval House bill No. 823, entitled 'An act granting a pension to Hannah C. De Wilt.'

I return without approval House bill No. 4633, entitled 'An act granting a pension to Morris T. Mantor.'

It must be conceded that upon the claimant's own showing he was not injured as an incident to military service.