acres of unimproved land acquired in fee by the Government in 1941 at an apportioned cost of $3,230. While this area is not considered excess, it is used only for incidental recreation and could be made available for purposes of this legislation. In 1965 the legislature of the State of Alabama established the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission (2 Ala. Stat. 1044) for the general purpose of providing and operating facilities to display exhibits, in cooperation with the Department of the Army and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, of the technological development of military rocket weaponry and space sciences. The State legislature also authorized, by constitutional amendment and public referendum, the issuance of State bonds in the amount of $1,900,000 to be used for the construction, equipment, and operation of buildings and other facilities for the science exhibit. However, no part of these funds may be used for the purchase of a site, it having been assumed in the early planning and formation of the commission that a site on Redstone Arsenal would be made available by reason of the proposed consolidation of exhibits by Federal and State agencies. In this latter connection, this Department is of the opinion that existing laws relating to the disposal of Federal property are not sufficiently clear to authorize the Secretary of the Army or the Administrator of General Services to convey, without consideration, these lands to the State for the proposed use. H.R. 4484, if enacted, would provide the requisite authority. In furtherance of its program, the commission employed the firm of Economic Research Associates to make a comprehensive evaluation. study for the economic development of the overall project, its construction, exhibits, and operation. This study was closely coordinated with representatives of Army and NASA at Redstone Arsenal and proposed in brief that (1) facilities to be constructed in yearly increments at a cost upward of $1,700,000; (2) exhibits will reflect the historical and future development of military weaponry and NASA space technology in cooperation with these agencies; (3) present public exhibits of Army and NASA will be consolidated in this exhibit; and (4) operation and management of exhibit will be in cooperation with Army and NASA. The construction and operation of the proposed Alabama Space Science Exhibit would result in benefits to the Department of the Army. Currently the Army Missile Command operates a temporary exhibit area at Redstone Arsenal, using three old air-inflated structures, not readily accessible to the general public. Transfer of this exhibit to the proposed area would result in a savings of upward of $45,000 per year. The Marshall Space Flight Center of NASA likewise operates a separate limited display area at this installation also open to the public. It is believed that the potential mutual benefits to the Federal and State agencies and the public fully warrant the restricted conveyance of lands as proposed in this bill. Should the Congress favorably consider enactment of this legislation, the property description set forth in section 2 should be clarified. As written, this description has errors in several courses and in addition would leave a narrow strip of Government land along the highway. Therefore, in order to permit flexibility in any adjustments consistent with an accurate survey, it is recommended that the H.R. 1161 description in section 2 be deleted in its entirety and the following revised general description substituted therefor: "SEC. 2. The real property referred to in the first section of this Act is generally described as follows: "A certain tract or parcel of land containing 35.69 acres, more or less, lying and being in the Northwest portion of Redstone Arsenal, in the north half of section 8, township 4 south, range 1 west, Huntsville meridian, Madison County, Alabama, lying south of the centerline of Bob Wallace Avenue, southeasterly of the southern right-of-way line of Alabama Highway 20, and northerly of a TVA power transmission line. The exact description of which is to be determined by an accurate survey and approved by the Secretary of the Army." An additional technical change is recommended on page 1, line 4, by deleting the word "shall" and substituting "is authorized to" in conformance with authorization act features. The enactment of this bill will have no effect on the budgetary requirements of the Department of Defense. This report has been coordinated within the Department of Defense in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. The Bureau of the Budget advises that, from the standpoint of the administration's program, there is no objection to the presentation of this report to the Committee. Sincerely yours, STANLEY R. RESOR, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION, Hon. L. MENDEL RIVERS, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Your letter of February 6, 1967, requested the views of the General Services Administration on H.R. 4484, 90th Congress, a bill to provide for the conveyance of certain real property of the United States to the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission. The purpose of the bill is to require the Secretary of the Army to convey to the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission (an agency of the State of Alabama) approximately 35 acres at Huntsville, Ala., for use by the State in displaying public exhibits of U.S. weaponry and allied subjects, developments of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and space-oriented exhibits of other Federal agencies and instrumentalities. The land would revert to the Government if the property is not used for such purposes. The 35 acres have not been reported to GSA as excess property pursuant to the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377), as amended. We are informed by representatives of the Department of the Army that there would be some advantages accruing to the Government from the enactment of this bill in that the present exhibit is not as convenient to the public as the proposed site, and the Government would be relieved of maintaining the present exhibit at Huntsville. H.R. 1161 In view of the foregoing, GSA defers to the views of the Department of the Army and NASA as to the desirability of the enactment of this measure. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that, from the standpoint of the administration's program, there is no objection to the submission of this report to your committee. Sincerely yours, LAWSON B. KNOTT, Jr., Administrator. SUMMARY OF THE BILL Purpose. To provide authorization for the conveyance of certain real property of the United States to the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission. Justification. The enactment of this bill would provide land on which the State of Alabama could operate a space science exhibit museum. Executive branch position.-The Department of Defense and the Bureau of the Budget have no objection to the enactment of S. 793. Fiscal data.-The enactment of this bill will have no effect on the budgetary requirements of the Department of Defense. Committee position.-Recommend passage without amendment. 90TH CONGRESS 2d Session } HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES { No. 1162 REPORT PROVIDING FOR CEREMONIES IN THE ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL IN CONNECTION WITH THE UNVEILING OF THE BUST OF CONSTANTINO BRUMIDI MARCH 7, 1968.-Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed. Mr. JONES of Missouri, from the Committee on House Administration, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H. Con. Res. 657] The Committee on House Administration, to whom was referred the House Concurrent Resolution 657, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the concurrent resolution do pass. PURPOSE House Concurrent Resolution 657 provides that the bust of Constantino Brumidi procured by the Joint Committee on the Library pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution 70, 89th Congress, second session, to be placed in the corridor, known as the Brumidi corridor, on the first floor of the Senate wing of the Capitol, is hereby authorized to be placed temporarily in the rotunda of the Capitol; and that ceremonies are authorized to be held in the rotunda on said occasion; and that the Architect of the Capitol is hereby authorized to make the necessary arrangements to carry out the purposes of this concurrent resolution. Because the Brumidi corridor is believed to be too small to accommodate the number of persons expected to attend the dedication ceremonies, House Concurrent Resolution 657, which authorizes the dedication ceremonies to be held in the larger Capitol rotunda, has been proposed. This resolution would also permit the bust to be placed temporarily in the rotunda. THE BRUMIDI CORRIDOR A description of Brumidi's artistic contributions to the area of the Capitol on the first floor of the Senate wing, supplied by the Architect of the Capitol, is as follows: The ornately decorated corridors of the first floor, Senate wing, demonstrate the skill of the artist, Constantino Brumidi, as a designer, decorator, portrait painter, fresco artist, master of the Romanesque, Venetian, Pompeian, Moorish, and Egyptian styles of painting. The west corridor, with its vaulted ceiling, is elaborately ornamented in the 15th century style reminiscent of the Loggia of Raphael in the Vatican at Rome. Four large frescoes are above the doors of of committee rooms. There are 13 oval landscapes in oil on the walls and ceilings, the signs of the zodiac on a field of Pompeian blue, and eight mural monochrome portraits of famous Americans in medallions along the walls. The walls of the main corridor have the most intricately decorated panels, containing medallions of the heads of four American statesmen. Fourteen landscapes in oil may be seen on the walls and ceilings, and large lunettes of three famous jurists are above the doors. Ten mural monochrome portraits of leaders of the Revolutionary War period are painted in the medallions in the panels of the north corridor. Two large historic frescoes portray "Signing of the First Treaty of Peace With Great Britain, 1782," and "Cession of Louisiana." The beautiful bronze stairways in this corridor were also designed by Brumidi. When Constantino Brumidi decorated the east end of the north corridor in 1873, the Committee on Patents occupied the room facing it. This is often called the Patent corridor since the lunettes depict three great inventors, and the ceiling is decorated with representations of inventions of the day. The south corridor is decorated with 16 studies in oil. These first floor corridors are often referred to as the Brumidi corridors, for although he was assisted by other artists, the concept and designs are his own. The beauty and artistry are truly a memorial to Constantino Brumidi. BIOGRAPHY OF CONSTANTINO BRUMIDI [From Dictionary of American Biography] Brumidi, Constantino (July 26, 1805-February 19, 1880), painter, was born in Rome, his father a Greek and his mother an Italian. As a young boy, he showed great talent for drawing and became a pupil of the Academy of Fine Arts. When 13 years old, he was admitted to the Academia di San Lucca, studying painting under Baron Camuccini and modeling under Canova and Thorwaldsen. During the pontificate of Pius IX, he was commissioned with three other Roman artists to restore the Raphael frescoes in the loggia of the Vatican. He also painted the Pope's portrait for the Vatican Gallery, for which he received a gold medal. He was made a captain of the papal guards, and in 1848 when Rossi was assassinated and the Pope fled to Gaeta, Brumidi was ordered to turn the guns of his command upon the people. This he refused to do, with the result that he was arrested and H.R. 1162 |