He has been receiving a pension under the general
law, dating from his discharge in 1865. His pension has been twice
already increased, once by the Pension Bureau and once by a special act
passed in 1882. His wound is not such as to cause his disability to
become aggravated by time. The increase allowed by this bill, when
applied for at the Pension Bureau in 1885, was denied on the ground that
"the rate he was receiving was commensurate with the degree of his
disability, a board of surgeons having reported that he was receiving a
liberal rating."
I can discover no just ground for reversing this determination and
making a further discrimination in favor of this pensioner.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, _June 19, 1886_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I return without approval House bill No. 5997, entitled "An act granting
a pension to Elizabeth Luce."
The claimant named in this bill is the widow of John W. Luce, who
entered the Army in August, 1861, and who was discharged in January,
1864, for a disability declared at the time in the surgeon's certificate
to arise from "organic stricture of the urethra," which, from his
statement, existed at the time of his enlistment.
Notwithstanding the admission which thus appears to have been made by
him at the time of his discharge, he soon afterwards made an application
for a pension, alleging that his difficulty arose from his being thrown
forward on the pommel of his saddle when in the service.
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