his Territory is yet subject to assessment for
taxation. The people have not yet had time to accumulate, and Congress
has received appeals for aid to relieve a prevailing distress which the
Territorial authorities have found themselves unable to deal with. It
does not seem to me, in view of all these facts, that the wholesome rule
prescribed by the general statute should be departed from.

BENJ. HARRISON.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _February 26, 1891_.

_To the Senate_:

I return to the Senate without my approval the bill (S. 4620) "to
establish the Record and Pension Office of the War Department, and for
other purposes."

This bill proposes to change the designation of one of the divisions of
the War Department. It is now the "Record and Pension Division," and it
is proposed that it shall hereafter be the "Record and Pension Office"
of the War Department. The scope of the work assigned to this division
or office is not changed, but the organization now existing under
a classification made by the Secretary of War is by the bill made
permanent and put beyond the control of the Secretary. The change of
designation seems to have been intended to add dignity to the position,
and the effect of the bill is probably to require that the chief of this
office shall hereafter be appointed only by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, though it is not clear that any provision is made
for a chief after the particular person designated in the bill has been
separated from the place or in case he is not appointed.

The real object of the bill is disclosed in the following clause:

The President is hereby authorized to nominate and, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint the officer now in charge
of said Record and Pension Division to be a colonel in the Army and
chief of said office.

It is fairly to be implied from the bill that in the opinion of Congress
the public interests would be promoted by making the contemplated change
in the grade of this office and by giving the rank and pay of a colonel
in the Army to the chief. A new and rather anomalous office is therefore
created--that of "colonel in the Army and chief of the Record and
Pension Office of the War Department"--but upon the condition that the
President shall nominate a particular person to fill it. I do not think
it is competent for Congress to designate the person who shall fill an
office created by law, and practically nothin