derstand it is claimed in any quarter that the present
helpless condition of this soldier is at all attributable to his army
service.

He himself never applied for a pension until after the passage of the
law of 1890, providing for a pension for those who had served in the
Army and are unable to maintain themselves by manual labor on account of
disability not chargeable to army service. The committee of the House of
Representatives in reporting this bill declare: "The testimony does not
show the disease of the soldier to be of service origin."

The beneficiary is now receiving the largest pension permitted under the
law of 1890.

His condition may well excite our sympathy, but to grant him a pension
of $50 a month without the least suggestion that his pitiable disability
is related to his army service, and in view of the fact that he is now
receiving the highest pension allowed by a general law enacted to
expressly meet such cases, it seems to me would result in an unfair
discrimination as against many thousand worthy soldiers similarly
situated, and would invite applications which, while difficult to refuse
in the face of such a precedent, must certainly lead to the breaking
down of all the limitations and restrictions provided by our laws
regulating pensions.

The value of pension legislation depends as much upon fairness and
justice in its administration as it does upon its liberality and
generosity.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 19, 1896_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without approval House bill No. 1139, entitled "An act
granting a pension to Caroline D. Mowatt."

The beneficiary mentioned in this bill was married in 1858 to Alfred B.
Soule, who served as major of a Maine regiment of volunteers in the War
of the Rebellion from September 10, 1862, to July 15, 1863, when he was
mustered out of the service. He died in February, 1864, and in 1866 a
pension was granted to the beneficiary as his widow at the rate of $25 a
month, dating from the time of her husband's death, two years before.

The widow continued to receive the pension allowed her until June 17,
1869, when She was married to Henry T. Mowatt, which under the law
terminated her pensionable right. It appears, however, that a small
pension was allowed two minor children of the soldier at the time of
their mother's remarriage, which continued until 1876, more than seven
years after such remarriage, when t