which the people's affairs should be conducted upon
business principles, regulated by the public needs.

Applying these principles to the case embraced in the bill under
consideration, we find that at Portsmouth there is a post-office and
an internal revenue collector's office for which the Government should
provide.

It is represented that the quarters now furnished for these offices
are inadequate and that more spacious rooms are desirable. In the
post-office there are six employees, and the collector of internal
revenue has five assistants. The annual rent paid for both these offices
is $600.

Upon these facts the proposition is to expend $60,000 for a building to
accommodate these offices, entailing after its completion quite a large
sum annually for its care and superintendence.

Though the sum of $60,000 is the limit fixed for the cost of this
building, if it should be completed for this sum it would be an
exception to the rule in such cases; and if it is absolutely impossible
to do the public business in the quarters now occupied by these offices,
which does not appear to be claimed, there can be no difficulty in
securing in this enterprising city adequate accommodations at a rent not
largely in excess of that at present paid.

Upon the whole it does not appear, as a business proposition, that the
building proposed should be undertaken.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _Washington, February 28, 1887_.

_To the Senate_:

I herewith return without approval Senate bill No. 531, entitled "An act
to provide for the erection of a public building at Lafayette, Ind."

This bill appropriates $50,000 for the purpose indicated in its title.

It is represented that a deputy internal-revenue collector is located at
Lafayette, but no information is furnished that he has an office there
which is or ought to be furnished by the Government. It is not claimed
that the Federal business at this point requires other accommodation
except for the post-office located there.

As usual in such cases, the postmaster reports, in reply to inquiries,
that his present quarters are inadequate, and, as usual, it appears that
the postal business is increasing. The rent paid for the rooms or
building in which the post-office is kept is $1, 100 per annum.

I have been informed since this bill has been in my hands that last
spring a building was erected at Lafayette with special reference to
its use for the post-office, an