a private of cavalry
from November 30, 1863, to January 1, 1865. It appears from the records
of the War Department that he has already been paid for at least two
months of that time.

The bill also provides that there shall also be allowed to the claimant
such additional pay and allowances, as commutation of rations and so
forth, as were allowed prisoners of war, from July 30, 1864, to January
1, 1865. The records disclose the fact that he has been allowed
commutation of rations from July 30, 1864, to December 11, 1864.

As the purpose of this bill, as gathered from the report of the
committee to whom it was referred, appears to be to secure for the
claimant therein named compensation "at the rate at which other soldiers
in the same situation were paid," and as he seems already to have
received a considerable part of the compensation provided for in the
bill, I am led to suppose that a mistake has been made in framing the
same.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 24, 1887_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

I herewith return without approval House bill No. 7648, entitled "An act
for the relief of the estate of the late John How, Indian agent, and his
sureties."

John How was appointed Indian agent in July, 1878, and upon such
appointment gave a bond to the Government in the penal sum of $10,000
conditioned for the faithful performance of his duties as such agent and
to protect the Government from loss by mismanagement or malfeasance in
his official conduct. The parties named in the bill were his sureties on
said bond.

On the 23d day of December, 1881, upon a report of inspectors connected
with the Indian Bureau suggesting frauds and mismanagement in the
conduct of this agency, Mr. How was suspended from his office, which
suspension was approved by the President in January, 1882.

After such suspension the accounts of the agent were examined and
various explanations offered by him in relation thereto. It is stated,
however, in a report from the Indian Office now before me, that such
explanations were deemed by that office sufficient to remove only a
small part of the items in the accounts which were questioned. The
matter was thereupon referred to the Treasury Department for further
examination and adjustment.

The Second Comptroller reports that the final settlement of this agent's
accounts was pending before the accounting officers for upward of
eighteen months, affording ample oppor