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will most tend to develop and make known to them the extent of the natural resources of the State. The appointment of a "State Geologist" would do much towards bringing about so desirable a result. As yet we know but little of the vast mineral wealth that lies beneath our soil. Science alone can unveil the "hidden mysteries of the earth."

The Legislature, at its annual session for the year 1837, passed a law authorizing the appointment of a competent person, whose duty it was to make an accurate and complete geological survey of the State, and furnish a “full and scientific description of its rocks, soils and minerals, and of its botanical and geological productions." An ample appropriation was also made for the purpose of carrying into effect this enactment, and one of the most enlightened and scientific men in our country received the appointment of "State Geologist," and entered upon his duties; but before he consummated his great work, he was cut off by the hand of death, while in the performance of his official duties. After the death of the lamented Dr. Houghton, the Legislature at its annual session for the year 1846, passed a law authorizing the Governor to appoint some suitable person to collect and arrange the geological notes, memoranda, specimens, maps, &c., of Dr. Houghton, with a view of preparing a final report upon the geology of Michigan. No action was ever had under this last mentioned law. I recommend that some steps be taken by you with a view of making a full and complete geological survey of the State. A great portion of the labor is already completed. The annual reports made to the Legislature by Dr. Houghton, during the time he acted as State Geologist, will aid very much in the consummation of such a work. The expense attending it will be a mere trifle in comparison to the great advantages yearly to be derived from a thorough knowledge of the geology of the State.

The purity of the elective franchise is another subject well worthy of your consideration. The theory of our government is that the majority shall rule, and when this theory is fairly and legitimately put to practice, no man has just cause of complaint. The Constitution of our State fixes the qualifications of the elector, and declares that no citizen or inhabitant shall be entitled to vote at any election unless he shall be above the age of twenty-one years, and has resided in this State three month and in the township or ward, in which he offers to vote, ten days next preceding such election. Whoever casts his vote in violation of this constitutional provision, strikes a blow at the rights. of all.

Our revolutionary fathers did not hesitate to wage war with Great Britain that we might govern ourselves and elect our own rulers. This great right of self-government and of electing our rulers by a majority of legal votes, is a right that shodld be sacredly guarded. Whoever seeks to carry an election by illegal votes, is an enemy to your liberties, and yet illegal votes are polled at every election. The Constitution provides that laws may be passed to preserve the purity of elections, and guard against the abuses of the elective franchise. Every good citizen has an interest in preserving the purity of the ballot box, no mat ter to what party he may belong. Our laws upon this subject are not; in my opinion, sufficiently guarded. I ask you to enact a law requiring every voter, as a condition to his right of voting, to cause his name to be registered at least ten days before an election, in a record to be kept for that purpose by some proper officer, under such rules and regulations as your good sense may dictate. I believe that such a law is demanded by a large majority of the people of the State, and would do much towards preventing illegal voting.

Congress, by an act, approved on the 3d day of June, 1856, granted to the State of Michigan, to aid in the con

struction of certain railroads, in the aggregate not far from two millions two hundred thousand acres of land. The act making this cession expressly declares, "that the lands hereby granted shall be exclusively applied in the construction of that road, for and on account of which such lands are hereby granted, and shall be disposed of only as the road progresses, and the same shall be applied to no other purpose whatever."

The State, by an act of her Legislature, approved upon the 14th day of February, 1857, accepted of this grant with the restrictions and upon the terms and conditions contained in the act of Congress.

The roads in aid of which this grant was made, have all been located and surveyed, (excepting in the Upper Peninsula,) and have an aggregate length of over eleven hundred and fifty miles. The building of them is of vital importance to us. They are chiefly located through the unsettled portion of the State, and no one can estimate the great advantages to be derived from their construction. At least thirty millions of dollars will have to be expended to fully complete and equip them for business, and a majority of this vast amount of capital must be brought here from foreign parts and distributed among our mechanics and laboring men, thereby adding to the individual wealth of our citizens and to the wealth of our State.

True policy requires that you should be liberal with these roads-foster and encourage them--and in so doing you will promote the prosperity of the State. You should claim nothing from them on the strength of the grant made by Congress. The State bears to them the same relation that the guardian bears to his ward, and faithfully in all things should she perform the duties of that guardianship. It is claimed that the Act of February, 1857, places upon these roads a tax too burdensome to be borne, and one disproportioned to the tax paid by the roads now in operation. These new roads, (to be built, as they must

be, through an entire wilderness,) ought not to be taxed too high--at all events no higher than the roads already constructed through the settled portion of our State. I respectfully call your attention to the different Acts of legislation upon this subject, and recommend that they be so amended that the burden of taxation will be equally borne by all these different roads in proportion to their several capacities.

The subject of the "Swamp Land Grant" is one of no ordinary interest to the people of this State. Congress by an Act approved on the 28th day of September, 1850, granted to the State of Michigan the Swamp Lands within her limits, to enable her "to construct the necessary leveesand drains to reclaim the same." This Act of cession expressly provides that "the proceeds of said lands, whether from sale or direct appropriation in kind, shall be applied exclusively, as far as necessary, to the purpose of reclaiming said lands by means of the levees and drains aforesaid." By virtue of this grant, and the acceptance thereof, the title to these lands, amounting to nearly six millions of acres, has become vested in the State, to be by her "exclusively appropriated, so far is necessary," to the reclaiming thereof. The State was under no obligation to accept of this grant. She might have said to Congress, the terms you impose, by the "proviso" of your Act of cession, are too severe. She however saw fit, by an Act of her Legislature, approved on the 28th day of June, 1851, to accept of this grant according to the "proviso" contained therein. And she expressly declares, in this Act of acceptance, "that all the money received from the sale of said lands shall be and remain a fund for the purpose of reclaiming said lands, in conformity to the provisions of the grant." Thus did the State take upon herself the duties and obligations imposed upon her by the "proviso" of this Act of cession, and she is now bound by every principle of honor, as well as law, to apply the proceeds

arising from the sale of these lands, so far as is necessary "towards the reclaiming of them." They are principally located in the unsettled portion of the State, and when reclaimed will be the most valuable for agricultural purposes of any lands we have, but until reclaimed, they disfigure the country, retard its settlement, and are the source of fatal diseases.

It is impracticable, in my opinion, for the State to enter upon a system of drainage, with a view of reclaiming these lands, to the extent that an individual would reclaim his farm; but there are many large swamps embraced in this grant, where an appropriation for drainage of a portion of these lands, or of the fund arising from the sale thereof, could be made to advantage. In such cases, I think it is your duty to make the appropriation, so far as is necessary to carry out the spirit of the grant. The early settlement of these lands is of more importance to the State than selling them, at a distant day, for ten or even twenty shillings per acre. As you increase your population, you increase the wealth of the State, and the weight of taxation is thereby more easily borne, because there are more people to share its burdens. These swamp lands, when reclaimed according to the intent of the respective acts of cession and acceptance thereof, will be capable of supporting a population one-third as large as the present population of the State. While they remain unsold, the State derives no benefit from them. In my opinion, it is far better to give these lands, in small quantities, to the actual settler, subject on his part to drainage, than to keep them ten, or even five years, unreclaimed-the source of disease and death. By disposing of them in small pieces of forty acres to each actual settler, subject to drainage, you would thereby be appropriating the land in kind toward the great object of the grant, and at the same time you would add more to the wealth and prosperity of the State, than if you sold them to the speculator at the price fixed by the pres