good plan. Its cost was estimated at $200,000. The Trustees, however, have since considerably extended the plan, and now estimate the entire cost at $275,000. They now ask a further appropriation of one hundred thousand dollars. As in the case of other public institutions, my duty requires me to say, that no such appropriation can reasonably be made. Neither do I think that any very serious evils will flow, from allowing the Asylum to wait for the completion of the buildings, until the State can be extricated from its present embarrassments. The State has been, and will continue to be liberal towards it. The appropriations made by law to the Insane Asylum since 1853, have been $237,000.

The State Reform School is in very successful operation. An additional wing has been erected during the past year, at a cost of a little over eighteen thousand dollars. The present Superintendent, Rev. D. B. Nichols, has introduced into the School the new and milder system of discipline, with the happiest results. The Superintendent and the Board of Control recommend that the law in relation to the School be so amended as to prevent the sending of female offenders there, in which I fully concur. There are no proper accommodations for them, and cannot be without additional buildings. The Board have incurred a small debt of $1,494 28, by making repairs, in consequence of injuries to the workshops by fire, which I recommend you to provide for the payment of.

There were confined in the School, on the 16th of November last, one hundred and thirty-seven persons. The ordinary expenses of the School for the past year have been $16,445 60; and the whole amount appropriated by law for building, since and including 1853, when the first appropriation was made, is $52,000.

The Agricultural College has been a source of great anxiety to the State government, and a serious burden to the Treasury, ever since the commencement of its construction, in 1857. The Salt Spring Lands, or their proceeds, had been previously devoted to its establishment, and in that year an appropriation

was made from the general fund, of $40,000; and in 1859, a further appropriation was made of $37,500, in all $77,500. It was founded, as declared by the law, to "furnish instruction in agriculture, and the natural sciences connected therewith," and was put under the control of the Board of Education. It has never seemed to be entirely free from embarrassments, in one way or another. Perhaps we ought not to be surprised at this. It is an experiment, to a great extent, and safe precedents for its conduct are wanting.

It ought to be confined strictly to the object of its organization, and must not be a rival to the State University in any respect; but it should teach far more thoroughly and extensively the sciences that relate to agriculture than any ordinary College. Men who have given their lives to these sciences ought to be employed in it. In accordance with the opinion of the Board of Education, I recommend you to commit the future care of this College to a State Board of Agriculture, of five in number, to be appointed as may seem to your judgment best. The expenses for the year 1860 have been $13,135 72.

The Board ask an appropriation of $25,000-$15,000 to pay salaries for two years, and the remainder for buildings, tools, and the like. Most of it seems indispensable, if the institution is to go on, and I therefore recommend that the appropriation be made, or so much of it as you think essential.

I refer you to the reports of the Board of Inspectors and Agent for particulars concerning the condition and finances of the State Prison, at Jackson. It will give you pleasure to learn that, for the past year, that institution has shown its ability to support itself; and there seems no reason to doubt that it will continue to do so in the future. The expenses for the past year have been $47,684 50; the earnings for the same time $51,538 26-showing a balance of earnings over expenses of $3,854 76. The number of convicts now in the Prison is 621, being an increase over last year of 86. How long this ratio of increase will continue it is impossible to say, but it is

greatly to be hoped that we have reached nearly the culminating point.

The rapid increase in the number of convicts since 1853, has compelled the State to be constantly increasing the capacity of the Prison, to contain and work them. The Inspectors state that the present capacity of the prison, will give them but about sixty-two vacant cells, as a provision for future increase of convicts, and there is a lack of shop room. They ask in consequence, an appropriation of $32,000, for the purpose of building an "L",and two tiers of cells, and for expense of moving east wall and building workshops. The moving of the east wall, and the building of workshops, is no doubt indispensable; but I have great hopes that the building of the "L" and two tiers of cells, may be safely left for some other occasion. I think a building commissioner is no longer needed, and the office had better be abolished.

I call your attention to the 61st subdivision of section 21 of the Act to revise the Charter of the city of Detroit, being Act No. 55, of the laws of 1857, by which it is provided, "that any Court of competent jurisdiction of the State of Michigan, may in its discretion, commit any male under sixteen, or female under fourteen years of age, to any work-house or house of correction in that city, instead of the State Prison, who shall be convicted of any crime, now or hereafter punishable by imprisonment in the State Prison." It is also provided, that all expenses attending the confinement of such convicts, shall be paid by the State Treasurer quarter yearly, on the certificate of the City Controller, that such expenses have been actually incurred. You will observe that the State, while it is to pay these expenses, has no voice whatever in determining what they shall be. Perhaps this statute might be advantageously amended, so as to allow persons of any age, convicted in the county of Wayne, and sentenced for short terms, to be confined in the Work House of the City of Detroit, upon some fair arrangement as to expenses, to be made with the Board of Inspectors of the State Prison. And such an arrangement would have the effect to relieve, to some

extent, the State Prison from its constant excess of numbers, and as well, the Reform School. I recommend this subject to your consideration.

The report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction will give you full and accurate information of the condition and progress of the public schools. This is by far the most important interest of the State, both as it regards the expenditure of money, and its influence upon the happiness, prosperity and progress of the people.

The schools are the great nurseries of intelligence, patriotism and virtue. Your duties, as the constant guardians of this great and successful system, in which the people have a just pride, are always important. To elevate their character and increase their usefulness, is our steady purpose. To this end, the Superintendent recommends the creation of the office of County or District Superintendent, to take the place, in a great measure, of the present system of Township Inspectors. If this system should be adopted, and I hope it may, the counties would seem to furnish the best and most convenient local divisions for that purpose. The Superintendent also recommends "that the law for Union or graded schools should be so amended as to permit districts having one hundred children of legal school age to organize under it." I see no valid objection to this, and therefore recommend the amendment. These are the High Schools of the State. They now number ninety-four, and it is believed they are generally exceedingly useful and successful. Through them the opportunity for a liberal education, almost entirely free of cost, is put within the reach of nearly all the children in the State.

The two mill tax, provided for by law of the last Legislature, was intended to take the place of the one dollar for each scholar, to be voted by the districts, but by some mistake this last was not repealed. Probably the intent of the Legislature, had better now be carried into effect. I very much doubt the wisdom of making any change, at present, in the mode of distributing the proceeds of the school taxes. In endeavoring

to avoid present inequalities, we shall incur the hazard of producing greater, in a different direction. Whenever districts find the income of the taxes insufficient to support the schools, it seems best for them to resort to the Rate Bill until the increase of population and wealth works a remedy.

The income of the Primary School Fund last year was $115,813 30. There are over four thousand districts, containing two hundred and forty-six thousand six hundred and eighty-four children, of legal school ages. There were engaged in teaching, seven thousand nine hundred and forty-one teachers, at a cost for wages of $467,286 50. There is invested in school houses and other school property $1,505,616 34.

I refer you to the Report of the Board of Education for all needful information in regard to the State Normal School. The number in attendance upon all its departments is three hundred and forty-two. The amount of its expenditures during the past year, exclusive of building, has been something more than sixteen thousand dollars. I recommend you to consider whether the expenses of this institution cannot be materially reduced.

The University of Michigan is under the care and control of a Board of Regents, elected by the people. For details of their action the past year, I refer you to their report, accompaning the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Institution has now in full and successful operation, its three departments of Law, Medicine, Science, Literature and the Arts. The whole number of students taught there the last year, is five hundred and nineteen. The University merits, and I have no doubt will continue to receive the liberal patronage and care of the Legislature. Under its present intelligent guidance, it has risen to a very high rank among the best Institntions of learning in the country. The people naturally and properly look to it, to occupy the most important place in the educational system of the State. I recommend to your favorable consideration, the suggestions of the Board of Regents,