Baker, deceased," and,
pursuant to the duty required of me by the Constitution, I return the
same with my objections to the House of Representatives, in which it
originated.
The bill proposes to pay a sum of money to the children of John M.
Baker, deceased, late United States consul at Rio Janeiro, for services
of that person as acting charge d'affaires of the United States
in the year 1834. So far as it can be ascertained it is apprehended
that the bill may have received the sanction of Congress through some
inadvertence, for upon inquiry at the proper Department it appears that
Mr. Baker never did act as charge d'affaires of the United States at Rio
Janeiro, and that he was not authorized so to act, but, on the contrary,
was expressly forbidden to enter into diplomatic correspondence with the
Government of Brazil.
The letter of the 8th of February, 1854, a copy of which is annexed,
addressed by William L. Marcy, then Secretary of State, to James M.
Mason, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate,
specifies objections to the claim, which it is believed have not since
diminished, and in which I fully concur.
U.S. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, _April 15, 1872_.
_To the Senate of the United States:_
I return without my approval an act entitled "An act granting a pension
to Abigail Ryan, widow of Thomas A.
Pages:
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348