sum stood upon
the books of said bank to the credit of J.F. Hanks. It is but justice,
however, to the executors of the estate of Dr. Hanks to state that there
is every reason to believe that the money deposited by Dr. Hanks in the
Louisiana State Bank was in current funds, and that when application was
made to Congress for the recovery of the same they believed, and had
evidence to satisfy them, that such funds had found their way into the
Treasury of the United States. There has unquestionably been a mistake
made, either by the officers of the Louisiana State Bank or the persons
engaged in removing the funds of that bank, by which the estate of Dr.
Hanks is loser to the amount of relief afforded by House bill No. 1550.

Accompanying this I send the statement furnished by the Secretary of the
Treasury of the funds covered into his Department, and accounted for
through it, arising from the seizure of funds of the Louisiana State
Bank of New Orleans in the month of August, 1862.

U.S. GRANT.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 1, 1872_.

_To the House of Representatives:_

I return herewith, for the further consideration of Congress, House
bill No. 1867, "An act for the relief of James T. Johnston," without my
approval, for the reason that the records of the Treasury Department
show that the lot sold in the name of J.T. Johnston, situate on Prince
street, Alexandria, Va., for taxes due the United States, is numbered
162, instead of 163, as represented in this bill. With the exception of
this discrepancy in the number of the lot there is no reason why the
bill should not receive my approval.

U.S. GRANT.

WASHINGTON, _April 10, 1872_.

_To the House of Representatives:_

I have received and taken into consideration the bill entitled "An act
for the relief of the children of John M. Baker, deceased," and,
pursuant to the duty required of me by the Constitution, I return the
same with my objections to the House of Representatives, in which it
originated.

The bill proposes to pay a sum of money to the children of John M.
Baker, deceased, late United States consul at Rio Janeiro, for services
of that person as acting charge d'affaires of the United States
in the year 1834. So far as it can be ascertained it is apprehended
that the bill may have received the sanction of Congress through some
inadvertence, for upon inquiry at the proper Department it appears that
Mr. Baker never did act as charge d'affaires of the