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Veto Message

May 07, 1874

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

The PRESIDENT

SIR: I have the honor to return herewith engrossed bill H. R. 1331, entitled "An act for the relief of Joab Spencer and James R. Mead for supplies furnished the Kansas tribe of Indians," and to state that said bill was the subject of a report made to the Department by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs on the 11th ultimo, with which he submitted letters from Enoch Hoag, superintendent of Indian affairs, and Mahlon Stubbs, Indian agent, representing that the justness and correctness of the claim of Spencer & Mead had not been established, and suggesting that further proceedings in the premises be deferred until a thorough investigation of the facts and circumstances of the case could be had.

The suggestion of the Indian agent received the concurrence of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the approval of this Department, and on the 17th ultimo the attention of Congress was invited to the subject in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives by the Secretary of the Interior. At the latter date the bill appears to have been pending in the Senate, of which fact this Department at that time was not informed.

On the 5th instant the engrossed bill (H. R. No. 1331) was received by reference from the Executive Office, and forwarded to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for a further report on the subject, and on the 6th instant that officer returned said bill to this Department with a letter presenting his views in relation to the matter and suggesting that the rights of the Indians and of Messrs. Spencer & Mead would be fully protected by a modification of the bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to pay such amount of their claim as might be found to be due. The suggestion meets the approval of this Department.

Copies of the papers connected with this claim are herewith submitted.*

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

B. R. COWEN,

Acting Secretary .

*Omitted.

Ulysses S. Grant, Veto Message Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/203985

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