STATE OF MICHIGAN.

1857.

DOCUMENT NO. 6.

ANNUAL REPORT of the Board of Trustees of the Michigan Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind.

To His Excellency, the Governor of the State of Michigan:

The Board of Trustees of the Michigan Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind, would respectfully submit to your Excellency the following Report for the year closing on the first day of January, A. D. 1858. The Legislature at its last Session appropriated, for the various objects mentioned in the act of appropriation, for the use of the Asylum, the sum of thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars for the year 1857, and the like further sum for the year 1858, under which there has been paid out and expended, by James B. Walker, Acting Commissioner, as by his statement herewith submitted and marked "Schedule A," and charged to the Asylum Fund, the sum of thirty-four thousand seven hundred and forty-four dollars and ninety-two cents, and, as will appear from said Schedule, there has been paid by the State Treasurer from that Fund, upon warrants drawn by the Auditor General, the sum of thirty-two thousand eight hundred and fifteen dollars and eighty-seven cents, leaving the sum of one thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine dollars and five cents due the Acting Commissioner for money by him

actually advanced, and for which vouchers have by him been filed in the Auditor General's Office.

There has also been expended for said year 1857, and charged to the General Fund, the sum of one thousand and twenty-five dollars and thirty-three cents; which sum has been paid by the Acting Commissioner and vouchers filed in the Auditor General's Office, while the sum of seven hundred and seventy one dollars and fifty-three cents only has been received from the State Treasurer, leaving a balance due the Acting Commissioner from this Fund, for advances, the sum of two hundred and fifty-three dollars and eighty cents.*

There is also due to other individuals, including the Principal of the School, teachers, contractors, laborers, &c., the sum of about five thousand four hundred dollars. The Board would here remark, that by the construction of the Auditor General, put upon said act of appropriation, the sum of $4,624 13 was by him deducted from the amount to be drawn for the year 1857, and charged to the asylum account for amount overdrawn in previous years. And that if the amount appropriated for the year 1857 had been fully received by the Acting Commissioner, there would still be an outstanding indebtedness of nearly three thousand dollars; which indebtedness has arisen in consequence of a change in the original plan of the foundation of the main edifice. For the reason of this change, the Board would refer to the statement of the Acting Commissioner, marked "Schedule B," and would also refer to the same schedule, for the progress made in the construction of said edifice.

The Board are well aware of the financial difficulties under which almost every State in the Union is now laboring, and from which Michigan is by no means exempt, and in consequence of which the balance still due the Asylum for the year 1857 has not been paid. They have also before them the State Treasurer's Report, in which he says he shall decline all further payments on appropriations, until provision is made to meet the same. Still, as the Acting Commissioner has in good faith, and with the expectation that the appropriations would be promptly paid, entered into contracts for labor and material, which in part have been furnished and performed, justice would demand that all such contracts heretofore made, should be fulfilled. And the Board would

This amount has since been pald.

further add, that the feelings of common humanity would, if possible, prevent that unfortunate class, including the deaf and dumb and the blind, from being compelled to leave the Institution for want of means to sustain them. We would therefore respectfully ask that your Excellency urge upon the Legislature about to assemble, the necessity of adopting such measures as will relieve this Institution from its present embarrassment, and make sure the support of those now in the Institution, and the salaries of the Principal and Teachers.

The Board would also urge the necessity of making available during the year 1858, the amount withheld by the Auditor General, and the whole of the appropriation due the Asylum for said year. And for the purpose of showing the flourishing condition of the Institution, and the great want and need of the speedy completion of the main edifice, would herewith transmit a report "made to the Board by B. M. Fay, the Principal of said Institution, marked "Schedule C," as a part of this Report. All of which is respectfully submitted.

BENJ. PIERSON,
J. B. WALKER,

JOHN P. LEROY,

Trustees.

FLINT, January 5, 1858.

SCHEDULE C.

To the Trustees of the Michigan Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind:

GENTLEMEN: During the year elapsed since my last Report, our Institution has been blessed to an unusual degree with health and prosperity. Except a few cases of illness in the early part of last winter, we have been almost entirely exempt from sickness.

Some of our pupils have made rapid progress in the acqusition of knowledge, and all, considering the difficulties incident to their unfortunate condition, show a marked improvement.

The whole number of pupils which have been under instruction since the opening of the Institution in 1854, is one hundred and thirteenseventy-six Deaf and Dumb and thirty-seven Blind. The whole number in attendance since our last Report is one hundred-sixty-seven Deaf and Dumb and thirty-three Blind. We have not, however, had this number in the Asylum together at any one time. The number in attendance the present term, which commenced in October last, is ninety-sixty-two Deaf and Dumb and twenty-eight Blind. Several of our pupils who reside at remote distances from the Asylum and went home to spend the vacation, have not yet returned; not having the means, in these times of financial embarrassment, for clothing and traveling expenses. Others, it is supposed, for the same reason, for whom application had been made previous to the commencement of the present term, have not yet been sent to the Asylum. The whole number of persons now occupying the Asylum buildings, including family of Principal, teachers and servants, is one hundred and one, and some of our apartments are very much crowded. Previous to the opening of the present session, the large room designed for our Chapel services was converted into a dormitory and filled with beds. Conse