d his sureties
for a balance due the Government from him on his official accounts for
the quarter ending June 30, 1883.

It will be observed that this quarter covered the period within which
the alleged services were performed.

In the suit referred to a judgment was recovered by the Government
against the postmaster for $190.45, being the balance found due from
him. This judgment still remains unpaid.

In this condition of affairs it is quite plain that in fairness and
justice no appropriation should be made in favor of the claimant.

It is the opinion of the Auditor of the Post-Office Department that even
if this bill becomes a law payment of the money appropriated should be
withheld under a section of the Revised Statutes which provides:

No money shall be paid to any person for his compensation who is in
arrears to the United States until he has accounted for and paid into
the Treasury all sums for which he may be liable.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, _May 29, 1896_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

I return herewith without approval House bill No. 7977, entitled "An act
making appropriations for the construction, repair, and preservation of
certain public works on rivers and harbors, and for other purposes."

There are 417 items of appropriation contained in this bill, and every
part of the country is represented in the distribution of its favors.

It directly appropriates or provides for the immediate expenditure of
nearly $14,000,000 for river and harbor work. This sum is in addition to
appropriations contained in another bill for similar purposes amounting
to a little more than $3,000,000, which have already been favorably
considered at the present session of Congress.

The result is that the contemplated immediate expenditures for the
objects mentioned amount to about $17,000,000.

A more startling feature of this bill is its authorization of contracts
for river and harbor work amounting to more than $62,000,000. Though the
payments on these contracts are in most cases so distributed that they
are to be met by future appropriations, more than $3,000,000 on their
account are included in the direct appropriations above mentioned. Of
the remainder, nearly $20,000,000 will fall due during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1898, and amounts somewhat less in the years immediately
succeeding. A few contracts of a like character authorized under
previous statutes are still outstand