RECORD OF DISTRIBUTION OF GERMAN CARP

Jan. 20 Smith, Landon F.

RECORD OF DISTRIBUTION OF GERMAN CARP

EXPOSITIONS.

During the past year invitations were extended the State to make exhibitions of her products at the Annual Fair of the New England Manufacturers' and Mechanics' Institute, Boston, and at the Southern Exposition, held at Louisville, Kentucky. These invitations were brought before the Board of Agriculture, and, after mature consideration, were declined, and the Commissioner of Agriculture directed to make the following replies to them:

"After a full consideration of the invitations to have the State represented at the Expositions to be held at Boston and Louisville, Kentucky, the Board of Agriculture decided that it was inexpedient at this time to accept either invitation. There are grave doubts as to the authority of the Board to expend money for such purposes; there is certainly no express authority in the Act creating the Department. But even if the authority exists for the expenditure by the Board of any sum for this purpose, it was thought that at present it would be inexpedient to do so. It was estimated that it would require at least $5,000 to enable the Board to make a proper representation of the resources of the State. The ex· penditures for the Parker Hall property and those which must be incurred in furnishing the laboratory and in the expenses of litigation in protecting the interests of the State in the phosphate deposits will draw heavily upon the funds under control of the Board and render it doubtful whether it will be possible to appropriate so large a sum as $5,000 for the purpose of securing representation of the State at either Exposition.

"In addition to these reasons, the Board felt that the State Chemist just elected should devote his entire time during the coming Summer to furnishing the Laboratory and making the necessary preparations for the important duties of his office, and that without his constant and active co-operation it would not be practicable to make a fitting representation of the geological and mineralogical resources of the State.

"Permit me to add that the Board appreciates fully the invitation offered for making known the resources of the State at the Expositions in Boston and Louisville, and that the members regret that, for the reasons given, they are compelled to decline to make an appropriation for this purpose."

In common with all the citizens of the State, the Board regretted sincerely their inability to take advantage of the opportunities offered for advertising the State, but it was a question with them whether they would abandon important litigation begun in the interest of the State and discon. tinue other work that had been begun for the benefit of the agriculturists

of the State, or make the proposed exhibition. Feeling that more good was to be done by adopting the former course, and believing that other opportunities would be given for making an exhibit when we were better prepared to do it, the Board reluctantly accepted the alternative and declined the invitations. They regarded the advancement of the agri. cultural interests of our people as paramount to all other duties committed to their care and acted accordingly.

The most important Exposition ever held in the United States, so far as the South is concerned, will be held in 1884 at New Orleans. The following communication on this subject, addressed to the Governor of South Carolina, was referred to this Department:

STATE PARTICIPATION IN THE WORLD'S INDUSTRIAL AND COTTON CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION.

Letter of Director General Burke to the Governors of the Various States. NEW ORLEANS,

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1883.

GOVERNOR: I have the honor to transmit herewith, under seal of the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, a copy of the Act of Congress creating the Exposition, a copy of the proclamation of the President of the United States announcing the time of opening and closing the Exposition, and a copy of the general regulations. The last will be followed in due course by such further general or special regulalations as may be found necessary.

The importance of this grand international event, the fact that it is a World's Exposition and under the immediate auspices of the United States Government, leads me to express the earnest hope that your Excellency will give early attention to the matter and take such action as will secure the active co-operation of your State and people.

In this connection, I beg further to express the hope that your Excellency will in due time recommend to the Legislature the appropriation of an amount sufficient to provide for a collective exhibit which will illustrate the natural and industrial resources of your State, and by this means help to swell the aggregate of an Exposition the importance of which to the material interests of the country cannot be over estimated. I am, with respect,

Your Excellency's most obedient servant,
E. A. BURKE,

Director General.

The objects of this Exposition are so clearly set forth in the charter granted by Congress that it is given herewith in full:

CHARTER OF THE WORLD'S INDUSTRIAL AND COTTON CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION, TO BE HELD AT NEW ORLEANS, 1884-'85.

An Act to Encourage the Holding of a World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in the Year Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-four.

Whereas it is desirable to encourage for celebration the one hundredth anniversary of the production, manufacture and commerce of cotton, by holding, in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-four, in some city of the Union, to be selected by the Executive Committee of the National Cotton Planters' Association of America, an institution for the public welfare, incorporated under the laws of Mississippi, a World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, to be held under the joint auspices of the United States, the said National Cotton Planters' Association of America, and of the city in which it may be located, and in which cotton in all its conditions of culture and manufacture will be the chief exhibit, but which is designed also to include all arts, manufactures and products of the soil and mine; and

Whereas such an exhibition should be national and international in its character, in which the people of this country and other parts of the world who are interested in the subject should participate, it should 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, That a World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition be held in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-four, under the joint auspices of the United States Government, the National Cotton Planters' Association of America, and the city where it may be located.

SEC. 2. That the President of the United States may, upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee of the National Cotton Planters' Association of America, appoint six United States Commissioners, and upon the recommendation of the majority of subscribers to the enterprise in the city where it may be located may appoint seven United States Commissioners, who, together, shall constitute a Board of Management of said World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition.

SEC. 3. That the President of the United States may, on the recommendation of the Governors of the various States and Territories of the Union, appoint one Commissioner and one alternate Commissioner for each State and Territory, whose functions shall be defined by the said Board of Management.