Special Message

To the Senate of the United States:

In the matter of the removal of Horatio C. Burchard as Director of the Mint.

In conformity to section 343 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, the following is respectfully communicated to the Senate as reasons of the removal above referred to:

The Director of the Mint is the head of one of the most important of the bureaus of the Treasury Department, to which are attached duties of a highly technical and varied nature.

By the express terms of the law creating the office the incumbent is "under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury."

This last-named officer, under whose direction Mr. Burchard was thus placed, reported to me that his mode of conducting the business of the office was unsatisfactory and inefficient and that the public interest required a change.

And therefore I removed Mr. Burchard and appointed Mr. Kimball in his place, believing him to possess especial qualifications for the proper administration of the important duties involved.

GROVER CLEVELAND