anticipate from this, the reclamation, and restoration, to usefulness in society, of many an erring wanderer, whose misguided steps would otherwise inevitably lead to ruin.

EDUCATION.

I shall lay before you the report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to which I invite your special attention. Its details communicate in an authentic form, the gratifying fact, that simultaneously with the rapid progress which the State has made in population and in the development of her resources has her educational interests advanced. The necessity for further effort has taken a deep hold upon the popular mind, and you will be called upon to provide additional facilities for the acquisition of knowledge.

The suggestions of the Superintendent in relation to the absolute necessity, that provision be made for the intermediate grade of education between the primary school and the University, is worthy of your earnest consideration.

The University at Ann Arbor has steadily advanced in numbers and in the popular favor. The income of the munificent and well selected grant of lands made by Congress for its endowment, furnishes a free education to all who chose to resort to its halls, and it must soon acquire a position as the equal of the first Universities in the land. Soon after its organization, a stock of one hundred thousand dollars was issued by the State, to raise money to construct buildings for Colleges and professors' houses, to be redeemed out of the sale of the lands, granted by Congress, "for the support of a University, and for no other purpose whatsoever."

The act authorizing the issue of the stock, pledged all the disposable income from the University fund for its redemption.

This has been deemed such a perversion of the income of the fund from its original design, that the Legislature for several years past has authorized the payment of the interest from the general fund. The principal is now about becoming due, and I respectfully recommend that it be paid from the treasury of the State, so that this noble institution, in the prosperity of which every citizen of Michigan feels a deep interest and pride, shall be entirely relieved from embarrrssment and debt.

The high character of the Normal School for its efficiency in discipline and mental culture, has been well sustained. The primary schools in every section of the State have felt the benefits of the judicious training which it has given to the great number of teachers it has educated, and fully attest the wisdom of its establishment.

In whatever section of the State we may chance to travel, convenient and well constructed, and even costly school houses, attract the attention, and furnish conclusive evidence that our people justly appreciate the importance of the primary school, the institution in which much the largest portion of our youth must acquire the education which is to fit them to "know, enjoy and discharge their rights, privileges and obligations as citizens of a free State." The returns show that on the last Monday in September, 1855, there were 3255 organized school districts in the State, in which there were 187,123 resident children between the ages of four and eighteen years; that there were employed in that year 5078 qualified teachers, of whom 1600 were males and 3478 females; that schools were taught in these districts on an average 5 6-10 months, and that 142,334 children were taught therein. There was apportioned to the several townships for the use of the primary schools in May, 1856, $99,938 76, the interest on the Primary School Fund for the preceding year, being at the rate of fifty-three cents per scholar. It is gratifying to know that there has been a steady increase in the income from this fund, which divided only thirty-four cents per scholar in 1850.

No one now has the hardihood to question that property is safer and better protected in proportion as it contributes for the universal education of the people. I trust, therefore, that you will not fail to make provision by which the requirements of the constitution shall be enforced that there be a free school in each district at least three months in each year.

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

The Legislature of 1855 made provision for the establishment of an Agricultural College, and in conformity to their enactment, a farm of about 700 acres has been purchased within three miles from the Capitol, and one of the wings in the design for the College buildings, one hundred feet long by fifty feet wide, and three stories high, has been completed. There has also been erected a fine building for a boarding

house, arranged to accommodate eighty boarders. The Board of Education has given public notice that the Institution will be opened on the first Wednesday of April next. Michigan is eminently an agricultural State, and her enterprising and intelligent farmers may congratulate themselves that a College devoted particularly to the wants and interests of the agricultural class will soon be in successful operation where their sons can be thoroughly trained in every branch of knowledge requisite to make them practical, scientific, educated, and accomplished farmers. You will be able, personally, to inspect the farm and buildings, and as you are made familiar with the plan of education which the Board has devised, I cannot doubt you will co-operate with them in giving complete efficiency to this long neglected, but most deserving department of education.

SWAMP LANDS.

In my Message to your predecessors I called their attention to what I deemed the defects of the Statute of the 28th Jan., 1851, "To provide for the sale and reclaiming of swamp lands granted to the State, and for the disposition of the proceeds," but they were obliged to legislate upon so many other pressing matters, in their brief session of forty days, that no measure was perfected upon this subject. The existing statute places this large grant of lands, amounting to nearly 6,000,000 of acres, under the control of the Commissioner of the Land Office, and authorizes him to sell them. It also provides that the moneys arising from the sale shall be and remain a fund for the purpose of "reclaiming said lands, in conformity to the provisions of the grant.” To this mode of sale and disposition of the funds, it appears to me there are very serious and strong objections. The State should enter into no implied contract with the purchasers of these lands, that they shall be drained with the proceeds of the sales. The creation of such a fund would of itself be a temptation to dishonest legislation. Combinations of purchasers would surround the Legislature, and judging from all past experience, but little good would be accomplished, if the moneys were appropriated, in accordance with their demands.

These evils have appeared so formidable and certain, that it has been thought best to withhold the lands from sale until additional enactments could be made, and no lands have been brought into the market within the last two years.

I invoke your deliberate and earnest attention to this subject. Its importance demands that all local and private considerations should give place to the great public interests which the magnitude of this question involves. If wise legislation prevails, it is believed, that complying in good faith with all the conditions of the grant, the foundations of a fund will be laid, the benefits of which will be felt, and appreciated by future generations as well as the present, and be co-extensive with the existence of the State. To what nobler purpose can this fund be devoted than that of education? Michigan has already acquired a high character for her efforts in this direction. A deep interest is felt upon the subject, and its benefits are highly appreciated by all classes. Much aid is already derived from the Primary School and University funds. And if to these there could be added another fund, the avails of which could be applied to other educational establishments, a demand for which is seriously felt, all classes of community would be very fully provided for, and education could be made entirely free and universal.

It is believed that any local or temporary disposition of these lands would come far short of producing such beneficial results. And we are not wanting in experience to guide us to correct conclusions upon this subject. In September, 1841, five hundred thousand acres of land were granted by Congress to this State, for the purposes of internal improvement-great care was had in their selection, and they now combine some of the choicest lands in the State, whose aggregate value cannot be less than from three to five millions of dollars-instead of creating a fund from the proceeds of their sale, they were granted directly for various local purposes, and the State has now nothing to show for one of the largest bounties of the government. There would be no justification for disposing of these swamp lands in a similar manner-and I trust that wiser councils will now prevail. After mature deliberation I do not feel able to recommend a better mode for their disposition than that suggested in my message to your predecessors: Namely, that they be sold in limited quantities to such as will actually occupy and improve them, subject to be drained by the purchaser. And that proof of actual occupancy and improvement be made a condition for the delivery of a complete title from the State. Should you concur with me, that the proceeds of these lands should constitute a fund for educational purposes, the particular direction to which the income should be

applied would become an important inquiry, and I would respectfully suggest that the Agricultural College, additional Normal Schools, and a Seminary of the highest grade for the education of young ladies, are particularly deserving of the attention and fostering care of the Legislature. These are important constituents of a connected educational series, and would render the system much more perfect and complete.

I commend to your attention the suggestions of the Commissioner of the Land Office, whose experience has discovered defects in the working of the law relative to both the school and swamp lands.

ST. MARY'S SHIP CANAL.

The St. Mary's Ship Canal, after a careful examination by the Board of Control in May, 1855, was accepted by the State, and the lands appropriated by the General Government for its construction, were transferred to the contractors, by the issuing of Patents from the Land Office. This noble work, which so facilitates the commerce with the rich mines and fisheries of Lake Superior, has been in successful operation for the last two years. The tolls received from it have been sufficient to pay for its superintendence and repairs, to which the State is limited by the conditions of the grant for its construction. On account of the high latitude in which it is situated, and the immense volume of water, being the entire outlet of Lake Superior, pressing upon its banks, additional safeguards in the opinion of the Superintendent are necessary to avoid damage on the opening of navigation, which the deep frosts of winter may occasion. As this is eminently a National work, constructed by the means of a liberal grant of lands from the General Government, and only committed to the care and supervision of the State, from which she can derive no revenue, I submit for your consideration the expediency of memorializing Congress for an appropriation of the amount deemed necessary by the Superintendent to make the work permanent and secure. It is the dictate of economy and prudence to provide against every possible danger to which this important and expensive work may be exposed.

GRANTS OF LAND BY CONGRESS.

I transmit herewith an act of Congress passed on the third day of June last, "making a grant of alternate sections of the public lands to the State of Michigan, to aid in the construction of certain railroads in