orders of Supervisors, but forwarded to this Office, for nine Dictionaries, but as the amount will be paid directly to the Publishers, it does not enter into the account with the State. All of which is respectfully submitted. IRA MAYHEW, Superintendent of Public Instruction. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. LANSING, Mich., Dec. 7th, 1858. To His Excellency, KINSLEY S. BINGHAM, Governor of the State of Michigan: The Board of Education, though not required by law to make specific Reports, deem it becoming and proper to submit annually a brief statement of their acts in the management of the important interests confided to them. We herewith transmit the printed Reports of the Secretary of this Board, and of the President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Agricultural College, found in the recent Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, pages 325, 368, and the Report of the Principal of the Normal School, in the the same volume, pages 369, 373, to which we would refer for particular and detailed information in reference to each of these Institutions. The Normal School and Agricultural College being especially under our charge, we will, in addition to the above Reports, present a brief statement of their present condition, the amount at our disposal for their future support, and indicate the legislation we deem essential to their continued success. THE NORMAL SCHOOL. This Institution, (as will be seen by the Report of the Principal, to which we refer,) is in a highly prosperous condition. It is supported in part by the revenue derived from an appropriation of Salt Spring lands, and in part by annual appropriations by the Legislature. No material changes in its policy or management are deemed necessary or advisable for the ensuing two years; and the usual appropriation of from six to eight thousand dollars per year, in addition to the fund derived from the Salt Spring lands will, we think, be sufficient to meet its absolute wants. THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. This Institution being recently established, in a comparatively new and unsettled portion of the State, on a tract of land entirely uncultivated, and on a basis essentially different from any existing College in the United Statesbeing in fact, the pioneer Institution of the kind in this country, and, therefore, an experiment-has been a source of great anxiety, and in its developement has required the expenditure of an amount exceeding our anticipations. The amount appropriated to the Agricultural College for the purchase, clearing, and improvement of land, erection of buildings, procuring stock, and maintaining the College, which has been in successful operation for nearly two years, has been as follows: Proceeds of Salt Spring lands,.. .$ 56,320 00 40,000 00 13,472 73 $109,792 73 For particulars of these expenditures we refer you to Reports of the officers above cited, and to the Reports of the President and Treasurer of the College, herewith submitted. It will be perceived that the expenditures and indebtedness exceed the appropriations and receipts $13,472 73. This has arisen in part from erroneous estimates and unforeseen contingencies-among which might be named the unprecedented inflation in value of all kinds of property and labor while the buildings were in progress and the im |