VELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 19, 1886_.

_To the Senate_:

I return herewith Senate bill No. 226, entitled "An act granting a
pension to Margaret D. Marchand," without approval.

The beneficiary named in this bill is the widow of John B. Marchand, who
entered the United States Navy in 1828, who was promoted to the rank of
commodore in 1866, and who was placed upon the retired list in 1870. He
died in August, 1875, of heart disease.

His widow filed an application for pension in 1883, claiming that his
fatal disease was caused by exposure and exertion in the service during
the War of the Rebellion. The application was rejected because of the
inability to furnish evidence to prove that the death had any relation
to the naval service of the deceased.

I am unable to see how any other conclusion could have been reached. The
information furnished by the report of the committee to whom this bill
was referred and derived from other data before me absolutely fails to
connect the death of Commodore Marchand with any incident of his naval
service.

This officer was undoubtedly brave and efficient, rendering his
country valuable service; but it does not appear to have been of so
distinguished a character, nor are the circumstances of his widow
alleged to be such, as to render a gratuity justifiable.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 19, 1886_.

_To the Senate_:

I hereby return without my approval Senate bill No. 183, entitled "An
act for the relief of Thomas S. Hopkins, late of Company C, Sixteenth
Maine Volunteers."

This soldier was enrolled in the Army June 2, 1862, and discharged June
30, 1865. He was sent to the Government hospital September 20, 1863, and
thereupon transferred to the Invalid Corps.

He filed his declaration for a pension in November, 1880, alleging that
while in the service he contracted malarial fever and chronic diarrhea,
and was seized with convulsions, suffering from great general debility.

A pension of $50 a month was granted to him in June, 1881, dating from
the time of filing his application, which sum he has been receiving up
to the present time.

This bill proposes to remove the limitation fixed by the law of 1879
prescribing the date prior to which an application for pension must be
filed in order to entitle the claimant to draw the pension allowed from
the time of his discharge from the service.

If this bill should become a law, it would entitle the c