Even if he has, since his discharge, suffered from rheumatism, he does not claim that this was incurred in the Army.  He bases his right to a pension entirely upon an injury which he particularly describes, and which the medical examination does not sustain.  It will be observed, too, that he continued his military service for two years and four months after the date of his alleged injury.  It seems hardly possible that he could have done this if he had been injured in the manner he alleges.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, June 18, 1888.

To the House of Representatives: 

I return without approval House bill No. 3959, entitled “An act granting a pension to Dolly Blazer.”

The husband of the beneficiary named in this bill was apparently a good soldier and was confined for a time in a Confederate prison.  He was mustered out of the service in June, 1865, and never applied for a pension.

He died in 1878, leaving as survivors his widow and several children, two of whom are alleged to be still under 16 years of age.

The cause of the soldier’s death was yellow fever.  There is in my mind no doubt of this fact, and the attempt to establish any other cause of death, if successful, would go far toward fixing a precedent for the rejection of all evidence which stood in the way of a claim for pension.

The bill herewith returned is disapproved for the reason that the death of the soldier had no relation to his military service, and I do not think there should be a discrimination in favor of this applicant and against many thousands of widows fully as well entitled.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, June 18, 1888.

To the House of Representatives: 

I return without approval House bill No. 5522, entitled “An act for the relief of Elijah Martin.”

By this bill it is proposed to increase the pension now paid to the beneficiary therein named, who was a soldier in the War of 1812, from $8 to $20 per month.

Prior to May 22, 1888, an application was made for reimbursement of the expenses attending the last sickness and burial of this pensioner, and on the day mentioned such application was transmitted to the proper auditing officer for adjustment.

I have no other information of the death of this soldier, but as his age is stated in the report of the House committee to be 87 years, and as there can hardly be a mistake as to the identity of the person named in the application mentioned, I am satisfied that the beneficiary has died since the introduction of the bill for his relief.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, June 19, 1888.

To the House of Representatives: 

I return without approval House bill No. 488, entitled “An act granting a pension to Elizabeth Burr.”

It is proposed by this bill to grant a pension to the beneficiary therein named as the widow of William Burr, who enlisted for one hundred days in 1864 and was discharged on the 3d day of September in that year.