GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, August 9, 1888.

To the House of Representatives: 

I return without approval House bill No. 3521, entitled “An act granting a pension to Manuel Garcia.”

From the records it appears that the beneficiary named in this bill enlisted as a substitute August 6, 1864, and was transferred to the Eighth New Jersey Volunteers; that he is reported absent sick, and never joined his regiment, and was discharged from a hospital July 2, 1865.

He filed a claim for pension March 4, 1880, alleging that in October, 1864, at Alexandria, Va., he became lame in both legs, and that subsequently his eyes became inflamed.  His hospital record shows that he was treated for pneumonia.

The board of examining surgeons in 1883 found no such evidence of varicose veins, which seems to be the disability claimed, as would justify a rating, and there appears to be no proof of the existence of any disability between the date of discharge and the year 1867.

The application of this beneficiary is still pending in the Pension Bureau awaiting any further proof which may be submitted in its support.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, August 10, 1888.

To the House of Representatives: 

I return without approval House bill No. 149, entitled “An act granting a pension to Rachael Barnes.”

The husband of this beneficiary served in the Regular Army of the United
States from February 24, 1838, to February 24, 1841.

In 1880 he applied for a pension, alleging that he contracted disease of the eyes during the year 1840 while serving in Florida.

Pending the examination of his application, and on the 24th day of March, 1882, he committed suicide by hanging.  His widow filed a claim for pension, alleging that he died of insanity, the result of disease of the head and eyes.  Her claim was rejected on the ground that his insanity, forty-one years after discharge from the service, had no connection with his military service.

In July, 1886, a special act was passed granting a pension to the widow, which met with Executive disapproval.

At the time the soldier committed suicide he was 68 years old.  Upon the facts I hardly think insanity is claimed.  At least there does not appear to be the least evidence of it, unless it be the suicide itself.  It is claimed, however, and with good reason, that he had become despondent on account of the delay in determining his application for a pension and because he supposed that important evidence to establish his claim which he expected would not be forthcoming.  It is very likely that this despondency existed and that it so affected the mind of this old soldier that it led to his suicide.  But the fact remains that he took his own life in a deliberate manner, and that the affection of his eyes, which was the disability claimed, was not in a proper sense even the remote cause of his death.