ife has lost his support. In other words, she becomes
a beneficiary of the Government because she is a soldier's widow. When
she marries again, and thus displaces the memory of her soldier husband
and surrenders all that belongs to soldier widowhood, she certainly
ought not on the death of her second husband to be allowed to claim that
she is again the soldier's widow.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 6, 1896_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

I hereby return without my approval House bill No. 8293, entitled "An
act making appropriations to supply deficiencies in the appropriations
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896, and for prior years, and for
other purposes."

To the extent that the Constitution has devolved upon the President a
participation in legislation I suppose his action on bills presented to
him for approval involves a duty to be performed, like others pertaining
to his office, with care and circumspection and in full view of his
responsibility to the people and his obligation to subserve the public
welfare. It is difficult to understand why under the Constitution it
should be necessary to submit proposed legislation to Executive scrutiny
and approval except to invoke the exercise of Executive judgment and
invite independent Executive action.

The unpleasant incidents which accompany the use of the veto power would
tempt its avoidance if such a course did not involve an abandonment of
constitutional duty and an assent to legislation for which the Executive
is not willing to share the responsibility.

I regret that I am constrained to disapprove an important appropriation
bill so near the close of the present session of Congress. I have,
however, by immediate action after the receipt of the bill, endeavored
to delay as little as possible a reconsideration of this proposed
legislation, though I am thus obliged to content myself with a less
complete explanation of my objections than would otherwise be submitted.

This bill is in many of its features far removed from a legitimate
deficiency bill, and it contains a number of appropriations which seem
to me to be exceedingly questionable. Without noticing in detail many of
these items, I shall refer to two of them which, in my judgment, justify
my action in the premises.

The bill appropriates $1,027,314.09 for a partial payment upon claims
which originated in depredations upon our commerce by French cruisers
and vessels during