The following objections exist to this bill becoming a law:
The bill as passed both Houses awards "such sum as shall equal the travel pay of a captain of volunteers from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, Cal.," whereas at the date of the discharge of Junius T. Turner he was a private of Company B, California Battalion, Second Massachusetts Cavalry, and not a commissioned officer.
Aside from this, under the established regulations and rulings of the Treasury and War Departments, "a soldier, on receiving and accepting a commission as a company officer, is not entitled to traveling allowances." A departure from this rule, heretofore adhered to, would open up a very wide field for similar claims.
Private Junius T. Turner, Second Massachusetts Cavalry, was discharged by way of favor March 28, 1864, to accept promotion as second lieutenant, Third Maryland Cavalry, and was mustered as of that grade in said regiment March 29, 1864.
He was honorably discharged September 7, 1865, as captain, Third Maryland Cavalry, as set forth in the inclosed official copy of a letter[113] from this office, dated June 7, 1876, to Hon. C.D. MacDougall, M.C., of Committee on Military Affairs, House of Representatives.
E.D. TOWNSEND,
Adjutant-General.
[The Senate proceeded, as the Constitution prescribes, to reconsider the said bill returned by the President of the United States with his objections, and pending the question, Shall the bill pass, the objections of the President of the United States to the contrary notwithstanding? it was ordered that the message be referred to the Committee on Military Affairs. At the next (second) session of the Forty-fourth Congress the following message was received:]
EXECUTIVE MANSION, January 12, 1877.
To the Senate of the United States:
On the eve of the adjournment of the last session of Congress I returned to the Senate bill No. 561, entitled "An act for the relief of Major Junius T. Turner," with my objections to its becoming a law. I now desire to withdraw those objections, as I am satisfied they were made under a misapprehension of the facts.