EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 26, 1888_.
_To the House of Representatives_:
I return without approval House bill No. 339, entitled "An act for the
relief of J.E. Pilcher."
This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to pay to the party
named therein the sum of $905, being the amount of one bond of $100 and
$805 in paper money of the Republic of Texas.
It is directed, however, that this money be paid out of the Texas
indemnity fund.
This fund was created under a law passed on the 28th day of February,
1855, appropriating the sum of $7,750,000 to pay certain claims against
the Republic of Texas. By the terms of said law a certain time was fixed
within which such claims were to be presented to the Treasury
Department.
Between the passage of said act and the year 1870 the sum of
$7,648,786.73 was paid upon said claims, leaving of the money
appropriated an unexpended balance of $101,213.27.
This balance was on the 30th day of June, 1877, carried to the surplus
fund and covered into the Treasury, pursuant to section 5 of chapter 328
of the laws of 1874.
Thus since that date it seems there has been no Texas indemnity fund,
nor is there any such fund now from which the money mentioned in the
bill herewith returned can be paid.
In this condition of affairs the proposed law could not be executed and
would be of no possible use.
If the claims mentioned are such as should be paid by the United States,
there appears to be no difficulty in making an appropriation for their
payment from the general funds of the Government. I notice an item to
meet a similar claim was inserted in a deficiency bill passed on the 7th
day of July, 1884.