Chapter 156. to provide for celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus by holding an international exhibition of arts, industries, manufactures, and the product of the soil, mine, and sea in the city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois
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CHAP. 156.— An Act to provide for celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus by holding an international exhibition of arts, industries, manufactures, and the product of the soil, mine, and sea in the city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois.April 25, 1890. Preamble.Whereas, It is fit and appropriate that the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America be commemorated by an exhibition of the resources of the United States of America, their development, and of the progress of civilization in the New World; and Whereas, Such an exhibition should be of a national and international character, so that not only the people of our Union and this continent, but those of all nations as well, can participate, and should therefore have the sanction of the Congress of the United States:
Therefore, *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*World’s Columbian Exposition., That an exhibition of arts, industries, manufactures, and products of the soil, mine, and Chicago. Ill.To be inaugurated in 1892.sea shall be inaugurated in the year eighteen hundred and ninety-two, in the city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, as hereinafter provided. Sec. 2. The World’s Columbian Commission constituted, etc.
That a commission, to consist of two commissioners from each State and Territory of the United States and from the District of Columbia and eight commissioners at large, is hereby constituted to be designated as the World’s Columbian Commission. Sec. 3. Appointment of commissioners, etc. That said commissioners, two from each State and Territory, shall be appointed within thirty days from the passage of this act by the President of the United States, on the nomination of the governors of the States and Territories, respectively, and by the President eight commissioners at large and two from the District of Columbia; and in the same manner and within the same time Alternate commissioners, etc.there shall be appointed two alternate commissioners from each State and Territory of the United States and the District of Columbia and eight alternate commissioners at large, who shall assume and perform the duties of such commissioner or commissioners as may be unable to attend the meetings of the said commission; and Political representation.Vacancies filled.in such nominations and appointments each of the two leading political parties shall be equally represented.
Vacancies in the commission nominated by the governors of the several States and Territories, respectively, and also vacancies in the commission at large and from the District of Columbia may be filled in the same manner FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 156. 1890.63 and Tinder the same conditions as provided herein for their original appointment. Sec. 4. That the Secretary of State of the United States shall,Notification to governors to nominate. immediately after the passage of this act, notify the governors of the several States and Territories, respectively, thereof and request such nominations to he made.
The commissioners so appointed shall he called together by the Secretary of State of the United StatesFirst meeting of the commissioners. in the city of Chicago, by notice to the commissioners, as soon as convenient after the appointment of said commissioners, and within thirty days thereafter. The said commissioners, at said first meeting,Organization. shall organize by the election of such officers and the appointment of such committees as they may deem expedient, and tor this purpose the commissioners present at said meeting shall constituteQuorum. a quorum.
Sec. 5. That said commission be empowered in its discretion toDiscretionary power as to accepting site, plans, etc. accept for the purposes of the World’s Columbian Exposition such site as may be selected and offered and such plans and specifications of buildings to be erected for such purpose at the expense of and tendered by the corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, known as “The Worlds Exposition of Eighteen hundred and ninety-two:” *Provided*, That said site so tendered and the buildings*Provisos*.Site, etc., to be adequate. proposed to be erected thereon shall be deemed by said commission adequate to the purposes of said exposition: *And provided*, That said commission shall be satisfied that the said corporation has an actual bona fide and valid subscription to its capital stock whichSubscription to capital stock. will secure the payment of at least five millions of dollars, of which not less than five hundred thousand dollars shall have been paid in,Capital paid in.Balance of capital. and that the further sum of five million dollars, making in all ten million dollars, will be provided by said corporation in ample time for its needful use during the prosecution of the work for the complete preparation for said exposition.
Sec. 6. That the said commission shall allot space for exhibitors,Powers and duties of the commission. prepare a classification of exhibits, determine the plan and scope of the exposition, and shall appoint all judges and examiners for the exposition, award all premiums, if any, and generally have charge of all intercourse with the exhibitors and the representatives of foreign nations. And said commission is authorized and required to appoint a board of lady managers of such number and to performBoard of lady managers to be appointed. such duties as may be prescribed by said commission.
Said board may appoint one or more members of all committees authorizedIts duties.Its powers, to award prizes for exhibits, which may be produced in whole or in part by female labor. Sec. 7. That after the plans for said exposition shall be preparedPlans.Rules and regulations of commission.Entrance and admission fees. etc. by said corporation and approved by said commission, the rules and regulations of said corporation governing rates for entrance and admission fees, or otherwise affecting the rights, privileges, or interests of the exhibitors or of the public, shall be fixed or established by said corporation, subject, however, to such modification, if any, as may be imposed by a majority of said commissioners Sec. 8.
That the President is hereby empowered and directed toNaval review. hold a naval review in New York Harbor, in April, eighteen hundred and ninety-three, and to extend to foreign nations an invitationInvitation to foreign nations.Rendezvous. to send ships of war to join the United States Navy in rendezvous at Hamptom Roads and proceed thence to said review. Sec. 9. That said commission shall provide for the dedication ofDedication of Exposition, etc. the buildings of the World’s Columbian Exposition in said city of Chicago on the twelfth day of October eighteen hundred and ninety-two, with appropriate ceremonies, and said exposition shall be openTime of opening visitors. to visitors not later than the first day of May eighteen hundred and ninety-three, and shall be closed at such time as the commission mayFinal closing. determine, but not later than the thirtieth day of October thereafter. 64 Sec. 10.
Conditions precedent to official proclamation. and expended for the purposes of the exposition herein authorized, has in fact been raised or provided for by subscription or other legally binding means, he shall be authorized, through the Proclamation by the President.*Post*, p. 1562.Notification to foreign nations.Department of State, to make proclamation of the same, setting forth the time at which the exposition will open and close, and the place at which it will be held; and he shall communicate to the diplomatic representatives of foreign nations copies of the same, together with such regulations as may be adopted by the commission, for Invitation to participate. etc.publication in their respective countries, and he shall, in behalf of the Government and people, invite foreign nations to take part in the said exposition and appoint representatives thereto.
Sec. 11. Articles for exhibition, imported free of duty, etc. That all articles which shall be imported from foreign countries for the sole purpose of exhibition at said exposition, upon which there shall be a tariff or customs duty, shall be admitted free of payment of duty, customs fees, or charges under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe: but it shall be Sales for delivery at close.lawful at any time during the exhibition to sell for delivery at the close of the exposition any goods or property imported for and actually on exhibition in the exposition buildings or on its grounds, subject to such regulations for the security of the revenue and for the collection of the import duties as the Secretary of the Treasury shall *Proviso*.If sold or withdrawn, etc., subject to duty.prescribe: *Provided*, That all such articles when sold or withdrawn for consumption in the United States shall be subject to the duty, if any, imposed upon such articles by the revenue laws in force at the Enforcement of penalties.date of importation, and all penalties prescribed by law shall be applied and enforced against such articles, and against the persons who may be guilty of any illegal sale or withdrawal.
Sec. 12. Appropriation; admission of foreign goods. That the sum of twenty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby, appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the remainder of the present fiscal year and for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury for purposes connected with the admission of foreign goods to said exhibition.
Sec. 13. Commission reports. That it shall be the duty of the commission to make report from time to time, to the President of the United States of the progress of the work, and, in a final report, present a full exhibit of the results of the exposition. Sec. 14. Limited existence of commission. That the commission hereby authorized shall exist no longer than until the first day of January, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight. Sec. 15. Non-liability of the United States. That the United States shall not in any manner, nor under any circumstances, be liable for any of the acts, doings, proceedings or representations of the said corporation organized under the laws of the State of Illinois, its officers, agents, servants, or employes, or any of them, or for the service, salaries, labor, or wages of said officers, agents, servants, or employes, or any of them, or for any subscriptions to the capital stock, or for any certificates of stock, bonds, mortgages, or obligations of any kind issued by said corporation or for any debts, liabilities, or expenses of any kind whatever attending such corporation or accruing by reason of the same.
Sec. 16. United States Government exhibits. That there shall be exhibited at said exposition by the Government of the United States, from its Executive Departments the Smithsonian Institution, the United States Fish Commission, and the National Museum, such articles and materials as illustrate 65 the function and administrative faculty of the Government in time of peace and its resources as a war power, tending to demonstrate the nature of our institutions and their adaptation to the wants of the people; and to secure a complete and harmonious arrangement of such a Government exhibit, a board shall be created to be chargedA Government board of selection, etc., to be created. with the selection, preparation, arrangement, safekeeping, and exhibition of such articles and materials as the heads of the several Departments and the directors of the Smithsonian Institution and National Museum may respectively decide shall be embraced in said Government exhibit.
The President may also designate additional articles for exhibition. Such board shall be composed of one person to be named by the head of each Executive Department, andComposition, selection, and organization of the board. one by the directors of the Smithsonian Institution and National Museum, and one by the Fish Commission, such selections to be approved by the President of the United States. The President shall name the chairman of said board, and the board itself shall select such other officers as it may deem necessary.
That the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized andlifesaving station to be exhibited. directed toplace on exhibition, upon such grounds as shall be allotted for the purpose; one of the lifesaving stations authorized to be constructed on the coast of the United States by existing law, and to cause the same to be fully equipped with all apparatus, furniture, and appliances now in use in all lifesaving stations in the United States, said building and apparatus to be removed at the close of the exhibitionRemoval, etc., at close of exhibition. and re-erected at the place now authorized by law.
Sec. 17. That the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause a suitableGovernment exhibits. building, etc.Site. building or buildings to be erected on the site selected for the World’s Columbian Exposition for the Government exhibits, as provided in this act, and he is hereby authorized and directed to contractAuthority to erect. therefor, in the same manner and under the same regulations as for other public buildings of the United States; but the contracts for said building or buildings shall not exceed the sum of four hundred thousandLimit of cost. dollars, and for the remainder of the fiscal year and for the fiscal year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety one, there is hereby appropriated for said building or buildings, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum ofPartial appropriation. one hundred thousand dollars.
The Secretary of the Treasury shall cause the said building or buildings to be constructed as far as possible, of iron, steel, and glass, or of such other material as may beBuilding material to be used. taken out and sold to the best advantage; and he is authorized and required to dispose of such building or buildings, or the materialDisposal by sale, at close. composing the same, at the close of the exposition, giving preference to the city of Chicago, or to the said World’s Exposition of eighteenPreferred purchasers. hundred and ninety-two to purchase the same at an appraised value to be ascertained in such manner as he may determine.
Sec. 18. That for the purpose of paying the expenses of transportation,Expenses of Government exhibits, etc. care, and custody of exhibits by the Government and the maintenance of the building or buildings hereinbefore provided for, and the safe return of articles belonging to the said Government exhibit, and for the expenses of the commission created by this act. and other contingent expenses, to be approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, upon itemized accounts and vouchers, there is hereby appropriated for the remainder of this fiscal year and for the fiscalAppropriation. year ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-one, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of two hundred thousand dollars, or so much’ thereof as may be necessary: *Provided*, That the United States shall not be liable, on account*Proviso*.Limit of Governmental liability. of the erection of buildings, expenses of the commission or any of its officers or employees, or on account of any expenses incident to or growing out of said exposition for a sum exceeding in the aggregate one million five hundred thousand dollars. 66FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
Sess. I. Chs. 156, 159, 160. 1890. Sec. 19. Compensation of commissioners, etc. That the commissioners and alternate commissioners appointed under this act shall not be entitled to any compensation for their services out of the Treasury of the United States, except Transportation.Subsistence.Compensation of officers.their actual expenses for transportation and the sum of six dollars per day for subsistence for each day they are necessarily absent from their homes on the business of said commission.
The officers of said commission shall receive such compensation as may be fixed by said commission, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, which shall be paid out of the sums appropriated by Congress in aid of such exposition. Sec. 20. Non-liability of the United States in excess of appropriation. That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to create any liability of the United States, direct or indirect, for any debtor obligation incurred, nor for any claim for aid or pecuniary assistance from Congress or the Treasury of the United States in support or liquidation of any debts or obligations created by said commission in excess of appropriations made by Congress therefor.
Sec. 21. No State law to be interfered with, etc. That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to override or interfere with the laws of any State, and all contracts made in any State for the purposes of the exhibition shall be subject to the laws thereof. Sec. 22. No personal liability of the commissioners. That no member of said commission, whether an officer or otherwise, shall be personally liable for any debt or obligation which may be created or incurred by the said commission.
Approved, April 25, 1890.