Chap. 41.—An ACT to provide for an industrial and commercial exhibit by the
Commonwealth of Virginia at the Louisiana purchase exposition, and to appro-
priate money for the same.

Approved December 20, 1902.

Whereas, the city of Saint Louis has provided for celebrating the one
hundredth anniversary of the purchase of the Louisiana territory, the act
of President Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia, by holding an international
exhibition of arts, industrics, manufactures, and the products of the soil,
forest, mine, and sea, at the said city in the year nineteen hundred and
four; and, ‘

Whereas, it is deemed essential by the general assembly of Virginie
that the natural and material resources and commercial and industria!
development of this Commonwealth be creditably and adequately dis-
played at said exposition ; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That, for th
purpose of defraying the cost and expense of an exhibit that will bes'
illustrate said natural and material resources and commercial and indus
trial development of the State of Virginia, the sum of fifty thousanc
dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same i
hereby, appropriated out of the moneys in the treasury not otherwise ap
propriated, to become available on the passage of this act: provided, tha
said sum be devoted exclusively to providing said exhibit, and no par
thereof shall be expended in the construction of any building or build
ings; provided further, that all sums expended by the State on accoun
of said exhibit shall be limited to and paid out of the appropriatio
herein provided for such purpose.
2. That a commission is hereby constituted, to consist of three commis-
sioners, one of whom shall be the commissioner of agriculture, to be
known and designated as the “Virginia Commission to the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition.” That said commissioners shall be appointed by
the governor within thirty days from the passage of this act, and shall
be subject to removal by him. Vacancies in said commission to be filled
in the same manner as original appointments.

3. That the commission so appointed shall be called together by the
governor, by notice to the commissioners, as soon as convenient after the
appointment of said commission, and within thirty days thereafter. That
the said commission, at said first meeting, shall organize by the election
of their officers, and they may then, or thereafter, employ such assistants
as they may deem absolutely necessary to aid in securing a complete and
creditable exhibit by the State, and displaying same at said exposition :
provided, that said assistants do not exceed the number of five, one of
whom shall be a principal assistant and treasurer and receive a compensa-
tion of not to exceed one hundred dollars a month.

4. That said commission shall have authority to make rules and regu-
lations for its guidance, and is hereby charged with the selection, pur-
chase, preparation, transportation, arrangement, installation, safe-keep-
ing, exhibition, and return of. such articles and material as best illustrate
the natural and material resources and industrial and commercial de-
velopment of the State; said articles and material to comprise an exhibi-
tion of the products of the soil, mine, forest, and sea, and the arts, indus-
tries, and manufactures of Virginia.

5. That said articles and material, belonging to the State, shall, upon
their return to the State, as herein provided, be delivered by said com-
mission to the department of agriculture, and the commissioner of agri-
culture is hereby directed to preserve said articles and material until
other provision shall be hereafter made.

6. That the members of said commission shall not be entitled to com-
pensation for their services, but shall be allowed their actual and neces-
sary expenses while engaged in the performance of their duties. That
said commission, hereby authorized, shall cease to exist after the sixtieth
day from the close of said exposition.

7. That upon the presentation of orders from said commission, ap-
proved by the governor, the auditor of public accounts shall ‘issue war-
rants on the treasurer of the State for the payment thereof, until the sum
of fifty thousand dollars appropriated by this act shall be exhausted:
provided, that the treasurer of said commission shall give bond in some
approved guarantee company in the sum of ten thousand dollars; the
expense of said bond to be paid out of the appropriation herein made.

8. That said commission shall report progress to the governor at such
periods as he may direct, and said commission, upon the conclusion of
their labors, shall make ‘final settlement with the auditor and furnish
him with a sworn statement of their receipts and disbursements under
this act.