of April, 1903, with appropriate ceremonies, and thereafter said exposition shall be opened to visitors at such time as may be designated by said company, subject to the approval of said Commission, not later than the 1st day of May, 1904, and shall be closed at such time as the National Commission may determine, subject to the approval of said company, but not later than the 1st day of December thereafter;

Now, therefore, I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, do hereby declare and proclaim the aforesaid provision of law to the end that it may definitely and formally be known that such international exhibition will be opened in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, not later than May 1, 1904, and will be closed not later than December 1 of that year.

    In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the
    seal of the United States to be affixed.

    Done at the city of Washington the 1st day of July, 1902, and of
    the independence of the United States the one hundred and
    twenty-sixth.

    [SEAL.]

    THEODORE ROOSEVELT.

    By the President: 
    DAVID J. HILL,
    Acting Secretary of State.

On April 30, 1903, the buildings of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition were dedicated in the city of St. Louis under the direction of the Commission.

PROGRAMME

CENTENNIAL DAY, APRIL 30, 1903.

GRAND MARSHAL,
MAJ.  GEN.  HENRY C. CORBIN, UNITED STATES ARMY.
       * * * * *

At 10 o’clock a.m. the freedom of the city was tendered to the President of the United States by the mayor of St. Louis.

The military parade, composed of United States troops and the National Guard in attendance, assembled under direction of the grand marshal and moved from the junction of Grand avenue and Lindell boulevard promptly at half-past 10 o’clock, preceded by the President of the United States and official guests in carriages, through Forest Park to the exposition grounds, where the Presidential salute was fired, and the parade was reviewed by the President of the United States.

At 1.30 p.m. a grand band concert took place, the doors of the Liberal Arts Building, where the dedication exercises were held, were thrown open, and the audience seated under direction of the guards and ushers.

Promptly at 2 o’clock the assembly was called to order by Hon. David R. Francis, president of the Exposition Company, and the following programme was carried out: 

First.  Invocation by his eminence Cardinal James Gibbons, as follows: