Joint resolution to establish the Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown Celebration Commission, and for other purposes
PL 83-263 (S.J.Res.62), enacted 08/13/1953

576 
PUBLIC LAW 263-AUG. 13, 1953 
[67 S T A T . 
Public Law 263 
CHAPTER 433 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
August 13, 1953 
[S. J. Res. 62] 
To establish the Jamestown-Williamsburg-Yorktown Celebration Commission, 
and for other purposes. 
Jamestown-W i 1 -
1 i a m s b urg-York-
town Celebration. 
Commission. 
Functions. 
Employees. 
63 Stat. 954. 
5 u s e 1071 note. 
Expenditxire s. 
R e p o r t to Con-
gress. 
Termination. 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That (a) there is hereby 
established a Commission to be known as the "Jamestown-Williams-
burg-Yorktown Celebration Commission" (hereinafter referred to as 
the "Commission") which shall be composed of eleven members as 
follows: 
(1) tw^o members who shall be Members of the Senate, to be 
appointed by the President of the Senate; 
(2) two members who shall be Members of the House of 
Representatives, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives; 
(3) one member from the Department of the Interior w^ho shall 
be the Director of the National Park Service, or his representative, 
and who shall serve as executive officer of the Commission; and 
(4) six members to be appointed by the President after considera-
tion of such recommendations as the Governor of Virginia may 
make, upon the request of the President. 
(b) The President shall, at the time of appointment, designate one 
of the members appointed by him to serve as Chairman. 
The members 
of the Commission shall receive no salary. 
SEC. 2. The functions of the Commission shall be to develop and 
to execute suitable plans for the celebration, in 1957, of the three 
hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, first 
permanent English settlement in America, 1607; the flowering of 
Colonial Virginia culture and statesmanship at Williamsburg on the 
eve of and during the Revolution; and the final winning of our 
American independence at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. In carry-
ing out these functions, the Commission is authorized to cooperate 
with and to assist the Virginia Three Hundred and Fiftieth Anni-
versary Commission that has been established by the State to celebrate 
the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding at James-
towai of the colony which later became the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
SEC. 3. The Commission may employ, without regard to the civil-
service law^s or the Classification Act of 1949, such employees as may 
be necessary in carrying out its functions. 
SEC. 4. (a) The Commission is authorized to accept donations of 
money, property, or personal services; to cooperate with patriotic and 
historical societies and with institutions of learning; and to call upon 
other Federal departments or agencies for their advice and assistance 
in carrying out the purposes of this resolution. 
The Commission, to 
such extent as it finds to be necessary, may, without regard to the laws 
and procedures applicable to Federal agencies, procure supplies, serv-
ices, and property and make contracts, and may exercise those powers 
that are necessary to enable it to carry out efficiently and in the public 
interest the purposes of this resolution. 
(b) Expenditures of the Commission shall be paid by the executive 
officer of the Commission, who shall keep complete records of such 
expenditures and who shall account also for all funds received by the 
Commission. 
A report of the activities of the Commission, including 
an accounting of funds received and expended, shall be furnished by 
the Commission to the Congress within one year following the cele-
bration as prescribed by this resolution. 
The Commission shall termi-
nate upon submission of its report to the Congress. 
67 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 264~AUG. 13, 1953 
577 
(c) Any property acquired by the Commission remaining upon 
termination of the celebration may be used by the Secretary of the 
Interior for purposes of the National Park System or may be disposed 
of as surplus property. 
The net revenues, after payment of Commis-
sion expenses, derived from Commission activities, shall be deposited 
in the Treasury of the United States. 
Approved August 13, 1953. 
Property. 
Public Law 264 
CHAPTER 434 
AN ACT 
To further amend the Act of June 15, 1917, as amended. 
August 13, 1953 
[S.41] 
Be it enacted l)y the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United 'States of America in Congress a^semhled^ That section 1 of 
title VI of the Act of June 15, 1917 (40 Stat. 233), as amended 
(U. S. C , 1946 edition, title 22, sec. 401), is further amended to read 
as follows: 
"(a) Whenever an attempt is made to export or ship from or take 
out of the United States any arms or munitions of war or other articles 
in violation of law, or whenever it is known or there shall be probable 
cause to believe that any arms or munitions of war or other articles 
are intended to be or are being or have been exported or removed from 
the United States in violation of law, the Secretary of the Treasury, 
or any person duly authorized for the purpose by the President, may 
seize and detain such arms or munitions of war or other articles and 
may seize and detain any vessel, vehicle, or aircraft containing the 
same or which has been or is being used in exporting or attempting 
to export such arms or munitions of w ar or other articles. All arms 
or munitions of war and other articles, vessels, vehicles, and aircraft 
seized pursuant to this subsection shall be forfeited. 
"(b) All provisions of law relating to seizure, summary and judi-
cial forfeiture and condemnation for violation of the customs laws, 
the disposition of the property forfeited or condemned or the proceeds 
from the sale thereof; the remission or mitigation of such forfeitures; 
and the compromise of claims and the award of compensation to 
informers in respect of such forfeitures shall apply to seizures and 
forfeitures incurred, or alleged to have been incurred, under the pro-
visions of this section, insofar as applicable and not inconsistent with 
the provisions hereof. 
Awards of compensation to informers under 
this section may be paid only out of funds specifically appropriated 
therefor. 
"(c) Arms and munitions of war forfeited under subsection (b) 
of this section shall be delivered to the Secretary of Defense for such 
use or disposition as he may deem in the public interest, or, in the 
event that the Secretary of Defense refuses to accept such arms and 
munitions of war, they shall be sold or otherwise disposed of as pre-
scribed under existing law in the case of forfeitures for violation of 
the customs laws." 
SEC. 2. Sections 2, 3, 5, and 7 of the Act of June 15, 1917 (ch. 30, 
title VI, 40 Stat. 224r-225; U. S. C, 1946 edition, title 22, sees. 402, 
403, 405, 407), and section 4 of such Act, as amended by the Act of 
March 1, 1929 (ch. 420, 45 Stat. 1423; U. S. C, 1946 edition, title 22, 
sec. 404), are repealed. 
Approved August 13, 1953. 
War materials. 
Illegal 
exporta-
tion; seizure, etc. 
40 Stat. 223. 
Repeals.