no information has been received from the fraudulent pensioner.

The circumstances developed called for the repeal of the law of 1871
lacing him upon the pension roll. This is accomplished in the second
section of the bill under consideration, which section I would be glad
to approve. This repeal, however, is accompanied by a provision in the
first section of the bill directing the Secretary of the Interior to
place upon the pension roll this identical fraudulent pensioner, under
a certificate numbered precisely the same as that heretofore issued to
him, "at a rate proportionate to the degree of disability from such
gunshot wounds as may be shown to the satisfaction of said Secretary to
have been received at the hands of Confederate soldiers or sympathizers
while said Rhea was attempting to cooperate with the Union forces," etc.

Inasmuch as the letter of the Commissioner of Pensions to which
reference has been made, and which forms part of the committee's report
on this bill, is the basis of this repealing provision, and inasmuch as
this letter furnishes evidence that the pensioner was when injured a
very disreputable member of a band of armed rebels and was wounded by
Union soldiers, I can not understand why the same bill which for this
reason purges the pension rolls of his name should in the same breath
undo this work and direct his name to be rewritten on the rolls.

If the facts before Congress justify the repeal of the law under which
this man fraudulently received a pension for nearly twenty-two years,
they certainly do not justify the provision directing his name to be put
on the rolls again with a view to further examination of his case or for
any other purpose.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 27, 1895_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without approval House bill No. 2051, entitled "An act
to grant a pension to Eunice Putman."

This bill provides for a pension to the beneficiary therein named as the
helpless daughter of John Putman, who served as a private in the War of
the Rebellion from August 27, 1864, to June 2, 1865. In 1870, when the
beneficiary was not 2 years old, her mother died, and her father married
again in 1872. He applied for a pension in 1884, but died the same year.
His claim was allowed, however, in 1891, and his pension which had
accrued between the date of his application and his death was paid to
his widow, Jeanette S. Putman. Immediately