lady or young gentleman at school. Party or fashionable promenade dresses are not needed by them. The Socials attended by the students, are students' gatherings, in company with the Faculty, and a few friends from the village. They are not fashionable parties, nor places of amusements where money can be spent. An occasional pay lecture or other appropriate entertainment, society-fees, and similar outlays, cover all necessary expenditures. Students have very little need of pocket money, and every cent furnished them above legitimate claims, is a positive injury. It is always better for all parties concerned, to commit the funds of minors to some member of the Faculty, or to some citizen of the village, who will attend to their wants, and discharge their bills; and in every case parents and guardians should require a monthly, itemized account of all the expenditures made by and for the child or ward. Such a requisition, faithfully fulfilled during the whole course, would save many a dollar, prevent the forming of some bad habits, and secure those of system and economy. LOCATION. Albion College is located in Albion, Calhoun County. The situation is pleasant and healthful. The facilities of communication are all that could be desired, the Michigan Central Railroad connecting it with all the principal routes of travel. The spacious grounds of the College (about 15 acres) are beautiful by nature, and have been somewhat improved. Steps are now being taken to complete a process of ornamentation by which, it is hoped, they may be made among the most attractive College surroundings in the West. The buildings, one four, and two three story brick buildings, are ample for the accommodation of 500 students. The north and center buildings are the only ones used, the south building being unfinished. It is contemplated, at the earliest practical period, to finish the south building and to improve and thoroughly repair the other two. The property, including Library, Apparatus, &c., is valued at $50,000. HISTORY. General History.-In 1843 the Wesleyan Seminary went into operation under a charter from the State Legislature. In 1850, under an amendment of the charter, Albion Female College was organized, and in 1860, by a further amendment, Albion College was founded, with full collegiate powers, admitting both ladies and gentlemen to equal duties, equal privileges and equal honors. In 1864 the charter was again amended, creating an "Endowment Fund Committee," to receive, hold in trust, and invest all moneys contributed for the endowment of the College, and pay to the Board of Trustees the interest only; a provision designed to prevent forever the diversion of endowment money to any other purpose whatever. Since 1843 more than 6,000 young gentlemen and young ladies have received instruction here, and hundreds have been converted to God. Its students have gone forth into all the walks of life, and into every part of the land, and many of them have risen to eminence. Financial Statement-The effort made some years since to endow the Institution by the sale of scholarships proved a failure. About $50,000 of the notes taken for scholarships were never collected or secured, and now lie, outlawed and worthless, in the College Treasury. Enough of the notes were collected to make the scholarships a bar against charging fair rates for tuition; as almost all the scholarships were perpetual and transferable, and many of the holders used their scholarships or rented them at a very low rate per term. The Institution has always furnished and is still furnishing free tuition upon all paid scholarships whenever demanded. Of the money realized on scholarship notes, aside from the per centum paid to agents for procuring them, $8,000 were paid on indebtedness, $19,000 were expended in buildings, and $35,000 in current expenses during the thirteen years preceeding 1863. At the close of this year the available means of the College were exhausted. All that was left was the property, valued at $50,000; worthless paper, about $50,000; and a debt of $2,000. Anticipating this result, the friends of the College inaugurated an endowment effort on a new plan. Contributions were asked of the friends of Christian education. The citizens of Albion and vicinity proposed to raise $25,000 if the two M. E. Conferences in the State would raise $80,000 more; $30,000 immediately, and $25,000 within five years, and an additional $25,000 in ten years. The Board of Trustees have resolved to raise, if possible, within that time, an additional $100,000. The citizens of Albion and vicinity have already raised their $25,000, the first installment of the interest of which was paid to the Treasurer of the College during the past collegiate year. Fortunately the great Centenary movement of American Methodism occurred at this juncture, and the two Conferences in this State made Albion College the principal object of Centenary offerings. About $40,000 of these Centenary offerings have already been directed to the College, the greater portion of which is on interest. In addition to the ordinary Centenary offerings, it has been determined by the proper Committees of the Conferences having the matter in charge, to endow, by the contributions of the Sunday Schools, a "Sunday School Centenary Professorship." A beautiful medal, commemorative of the Centenary of American Methodism and of the endowment of the College, has been procured, one of which will be given to any Sunday School scholar or other person who will donate one dollar for this purpose. The friends of the College feel hopeful and earnest beyond any former period, and confidently expect that, including the $25,000 raised by the citizens of Albion and vicinity, $100,000 will be placed on the interest fund during the coming year. After meeting most of the expenses of the past year, the financial condition of the College is about as follows: Due on salaries, and on notes secured by mortgage about..... $9,000 00 Value of buildings, &c., liable for the above,...... $50,000 00 Endowment Fund, consisting of securities, good notes, and reliable subscriptions, (not liable for the indebtednes,) for the most part at interest, $65,000 00 DESIGN. Under the Amended Charter, it is not the design to assume the duties of a University or Professional College, and prepare students for any specific avocation in life. It is designed, however, by requiring students to prosecute a thorough and systematic course of study,-such as is approved by the best educators in the country,-to secure that mental discipline and development which alone are worthy the name of a Collegiate education. To accomplish this work successfully, the Institution must be able to provide the best instructors, and must have means to enable these persons to devote all their time to their several Departments, and not compel them to teach a variety of sciences. It is only by securing such men and furnishing the Institution with good libraries, full museums, excellent apparatus, &c, that proper instruction can be given, or that the Institution can become what its title indicates, a College. The successful establishment of such an Institution is not the work of a day, nor of a year; it is the result of the sacrifices, toil and growth of years. We believe that the faith, energy, perseverance, and the enlightened and enlarged liberality of the Methodists of Michigan, and other friends of a thorough Collegiate education, will accomplish the work. All of which is respectfully submitted. GEO. B. JOCELYN. VISITORS' REPORT. HON. O. HOSFORD, Supt. Public Instruction: SIR:-Soon after his appointment as a member of the Board of Visitors on the part of the State to the Albion College, the undersigned waited upon the persons named as his colleagues, and conferred with them with reference to the duties of the appointment, to the discharge of which a part only of the Board has found it convenient to give attention. The writer, so far as he was able, attended upon the public exercises of the Institution during the unexpired portion of the year for which he was appointed, which included only the Annual Examination and Commencement of the College. His Report can therefore embrace only his observations on these occasions, with such reflections as his general knowledge of the condition and management of the Institution for years past suggest. It is now more than a quarter of a century since the first incorporation of the institution as a Seminary for Ladies and Gentlemen, under the immediate patronage of the Michigan Conference of the M. E. Church, which at that time embraced the entire State of Michigan. During its earlier years, and before the establishment of Union Schools and systems of Graded Schools in the State, it became an efficient educational agency, qualifying many young men for College, (the most of whom became students of our own State University,) and preparing large numbers of both sexes for the better discharge of their duties as citizens of the State and members of the communities in which their lots have been cast. Some years later the charter of the institution was so amended as to constitute it a Female College. But it still continued to perform the functions of an academic institution for both sexes, and its influence was perhaps extended, its objects continuing general, as before, with the addition of this specialty. Still later, the institution has become organized, pursuant to the provisions of a general law of the State providing for the incorporation of institutions of learning, under the title of Albion College, and has now three classes in the regular College Course. To this regular and full course both ladies and gentlemen are admitted, thus carrying out the original design of the founders of the institution in the coeducation of |