1889'.. CONGRESSIONAL 'RECORD-HOUSE;_ PRO:MOT!{}NS IN THE ARMY. It seems that this claimant enlisted just at the close of the war, and was con-! nected in a manner with the Army for four months. It is not probable that h Alfred Hedberg; late captain Fifteenth Infantry, to be captain, to ever saw any actual service, for none is stated in the papers before=~; and it. does appear that he spent a large part of his short term of enlistment in hos'!. tank from the date of his assignment tmder the act, vice Whittemore, pitals and under treatment for a trouble with his eye, As early ae May23, 1865, promoted to the Tenth Infuntry. he was admitted to hospUal with gonorrheal ophthalmia.. His claim was: r~­ First Lieut. John_ W. Summerhayes, regimental quartermaster, jected by the Pension Bureau on the ground that this- was the cause of l}is d..i ability, and. the inferences from the proof presented-make thls: extremely proD-, Eighth Infantry, to be assistant quartermaster with the rank of cap­ able. tain, February 25, 1889, vice Hoyt, nominated for promotion: Onaof the witnesses who testified that the beneficiary caught cold in his eye Maj. William B. Hughes, quartermast-€r,. to be deputy quartermaster­ in April, 1865, on_ the Mississippi River, is shown to have been at that time with his regiment and company ~t Dam·ille, Va. f general with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, February 15, 18~9, vice The circumstances surrounding this case and the facts proved, satisfy me that ' Card, retired from active service. the determination of the Pension_ Bu-reau was correct, and there is certainly no Capt. Charles H. Hoyt, assistant quartermaster, to be quartermaster sentiment in favor of the claimant which justifies llie indulgence of viOlent p.re-l sumptions for the purpose of overriding such dete.nnin.ation~ 'With the rank of major, February 15, 1889, vice Hughes, promoted. GROVER CLEVELAND. Te1~th R egiment of Inja1rlt7J. EXECUTIVE 1\f.L..,SION, Februru11 23,1889. Capt. Edward W. Whittemore, of the Fifteenth Infantry, to be major, JOHN M'COOL. February !5, 1889-, vice Hawkins, promo~d to the Twenty-third In­ The SPEAKER also laid before tlie House the following veto message, fantry. , of the President of the- United States; which was read, and, with the Eigllieenlh Regiment of Infantry. ' accompanying bill, referred, on_ motl,on of M.r. MATSON, to the Com- Lieut. CoT. Henry M. LazeTie, of the Tw~nty-third Infantry; to be 1 mittee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed: colonel, February 17, 1889, vice. Yard,. deceased. To tlte House of Representativ.es: Tweniy-tki1·d Regiment oj'hifantry. 'r retum without approval' House bill No. 5807, entitled ''An_ act granting-a pension to John McCool." I lUaj. Hamilton S. Hawkins, of the Tenth Infantry, to be lieutenant-­ · This beneficiary served in an Iowa regiment of volunteers from 1\lay 27, I861, colonel, February 17, 1889, mce Lazelle, promoted to Eighteenth In­ to July 12, 1865. j He filed a petition for pension, alleging an accidental wound in the rig4t fantry. thumb while extracting a cartridge from a pist-ol in August, 1861. There-is no PROMOTIONS IN THE NAVY. record of any such disability, though it appears that he was on a furlough about 1 the date of his alleged injury. It appears that he served nearly four ye:us after Lieut. Frank F. Fletcher, junior grade, a resident of Iowa, to be a the time he fixedaa the date of his injury. lieutenant in the Navy, from the 19th of February, 188.9 [subject to No evide.nce was filed in support of the claim. he filed, and he refused to ap­ pear for examination, though twice notified to do so. the examinations required- by ln.w], vice Lieut. L. P. Jouett, dis­ His claim was rejected in 1\Iay, 1888, no suggestion having been made of any ~barged from the naval service, in conformity with the act of Congress other disability than the wound in t-he thnmb., upon w-hich hu[cJ.a-im befor~ the approved 5th of August, 1882, not having been recommended for pro·­ bureau was based. The report of the committee in. the House of Representatives: recommending motion. the passage of this bill contains no intimation that there exists any disability Ensign Percival J. Werlich, a resident of WISconsin, to bear lieuten­ contracted in the military service, but. distinctly declares the pension recom­ ant, junior grade, in the Navy, from the 19th of. February, 1889, vice mended a service pension, and states that the beneficiary; is blind. , As long as the policy of granting pensions for disability traceable to the inci- . Lieut. F. F. Fletcher. junior grade, promoted. dents-of Army service is adhered_ to, the allowance of pensions by special acts Passed Assistant Engineer David Jones, a resident of Pennsylvania, based· upon service only gives ri:se to unjust and uniair dis.criminations among 1 to be a chief engineer in the Na-vy, from the 9th of January, 1889, vice those equally entitled, and makes precedents which willeventuallyresultinan entire departure from the principle upon which pensions are now awarded. Chief Engineer Edwin Wells, deceased. (Subject to the examinations GROVER CLEVELAND. required by law. J EXECUTIVE MANSION, Febr-uary 23, 1889. Assistant Engineer Reynold T. Hall, a resfdent of Pennsylvania, to be a passed assistant engineer in the Navy, from the 9th of January, WILLIA!r BARNES. 1889, vice Passed.Ass.i.stant Engineers-R..Ashton.and David Jones, pro­ The SPEAKER also laid hefa:re the_ House the foil awing, veto message moted. [Subject to the examinations required by law.] of the Presidentrof the United States:;- which was read, and,. with the Passedi Assistant Engineer James. H~ Chasmar, a resident of New accompanying bill, referred, on__ motiOil of Mr. M:..A!rsON, to the Com­ &ork, to be a chief engineer in the Navy, from the 27th of .fannary, mittee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed: 1889, vice Chief Engineer Francis C. Dade, retired. _ To the House of Representatil:es: Assistant Engineer Ira N. Hollis, a resident of Kentucky, to be a I herewith return witliout- approval House hili N'o. II999, entitled "An act passed assistant engineer in the Navy, from the 19th of ~·ebroa:cy, 1889, granting a pension to \Villiam Barnes." ' vice Passed Assistant Engineers J. H. Chasmar and John_ W. Gardner, The beneficiary named in this bill served in a Kentucky regiment fro_m Au­ gust !1, 1S6l~to December 6,1864.. retired. [S.uhjee.t to the- exa.m.inations required by law~J He made cltrim for pension in the Pension Bureau, in_ September, 1882, alleg­ ing that in October, 1852. he was accidentally-injured; by a. pistol shot m the thigh while in the line of duty, 1 It is conceded that he was wounded by the discharge of a pisfol which he was CONFIRMATIONS. 1 carrying while he was absent from hi!t command with permission on a visit to E.'!;eeutiunotnination.s confirmed by tite Senate, Feb1··ua1'y 26, 1889. his home, and_ t-hat the dis.charge of the pistol was accidental. The ciruum.atances of the iniury are neither-given irr the report- of the com·' SURVEYOR OF €1UST0~1S. mittee, to whom the claim Wl\3 referred. b:91 the Rouse of Representatives; ~or in the report of the-case furnished to_,m_e from the Pension Bureau__; but OJl_ the Frank E. Hayden, of Ohio, to be surveyor of ens toms far ihe port of conceded...facts, the granting of a pe-nsion in this case can be predicated upon no Columl)US', Ohio. other theory ex-cept' the liability oftpe Government for any injury by accident CAPTAIN OF INFANTRY. to a person in the military service, whether in the-line ofduty: m: no_t. I think the ado~tion of the principle that the QQverllDlent is- an insurer Alfred Hedberg, to be captain Fifteenth Infantry, to rank from the against accidents under any circumstances-befalling those enlisted in_ its mili· tary service, when visiting at home, is-an unwarrantable .stre-tch oi pen::tibnleg'­ date of his assignment. i.Slation. GROVER CLEVELAND. ExECUTIVE 1\fANSION, Febr-uary 23,1889. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE8. HEl\TRY V. BASS. The SPEAKER also laid before the Honse the following-veto message TUESDAY, Febt:uary 2.6, 1889·. of the President of the United States; which was read, :md, with the 1 accompanJ¥1g bill, referred) on motion of Mr. ~f.A.TsON, to the Com­ The House met at 10 o clock a. m. Prayer by the Clmplain, Rev. W. mittee on Invalid Pensions, and order_ed to be printed: H. MILBURN, D. D. The Journal of yesterday'S' proceedings was read and approved'. To the House of Representatives: I return without approval Hnuse Wll No. 11803, entitled "An act granting a JOHN J. LOCKBEY. pension to Henry V. Bass." 1 This beneficiary e.nli:sted September 9, 1862; and WaS' muste-red out .Augusti lo, The SPEAKER laid before the House the following veto>message of 18~5. T~e records !1_4-.ow no disability during his service. the President of the United States; which was read, and, with the ac­ It is now alleged that the soldier. was sitting on the ground ne:n... ills tent_while bill.,. 11-I!T§ON; to two. comrades were wrestling near him, and that in the cour~of the ~e ' companying referred, on m9tion of 1Ylr. the Commit­ one o'f tile-parties engaged in it was> thf6wn oi· fell upon the b'eneficiary, injur-' tee on Invalid Pensions, and ordered to be printed: ing his rigpt knee and ankle.