his widow the wife who was divorced from him at her own instance
fourteen years ago.

A government's generous care for widows deprived of a husband's support
and companionship by the casualties or disabilities of war rests upon
grounds which all must cheerfully approve; but it is difficult to place
upon these grounds the case of this proposed beneficiary, who has
renounced a wife's relation, with all its duties and all its rights, and
who by her own act placed herself beyond the possibility of becoming the
widow of her soldier husband.

If, as stated in the report of the House committee on this bill, the
beneficiary for some reason contributed something toward the soldier's
support after her divorce and paid the expense of his burial, the fact
still remains that this soldier died in a soldiers' home wifeless and
leaving no one surviving who, claiming to be his widow, should be
allowed to profit by his death.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 21, 1896_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

I herewith return without approval House bill No. 1185, entitled "An act
granting a pension to Rachel Patton."

John H. Patton, the husband of the beneficiary, was a captain in an
Illinois regiment, and was killed in action June 25, 1863.

In December, 1863, the beneficiary was pensioned as his widow at the
rate of $20 a month.

She received this pension for thirteen years and until 1876, when she
married one William G. Culbertson. Thereupon, because of such marriage,
her name was dropped from the pension rolls, pursuant to law.

In 1889, thirteen years after her remarriage and the termination of her
pension, she procured a decree of divorce against her second husband on
the ground of desertion.

She has a small income, but it does not appear that alimony was allowed
her in the divorce proceedings.

It is proposed by this bill to pension her at the same rate which was
allowed her while she remained the widow of the deceased soldier.

It can not be denied that the remarriage of this beneficiary terminated
her pensionable relation to the Government as completely as if it never
existed. The statute which so provides simply declares what is approved
by a fair and sensible consideration of pension principles. As a legal
proposition, the pensionable status of a soldier's widow, lost by her
remarriage, can not be recovered by the dissolution of the second
marriage. Waiving, however, the application of strictly l